A Glasgow based software academy has had its first four graduates leave with a new accredited qualification.

Ian Campbell, Klaudia Dziubek, Freddie Swift and Melanie Schwab are the first to receive the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) accredited qualification delivered by Edge Testing Solutions.

Edge Testing, which delivered the qualification is part of Eurofins Digital Testing, one UK’s fastest-growing and largest independent software testing companies.

The graduates undertook the qualification as part of a two-year training program called the Edge Academy created by Edge Testing to combine hands-on experience with classroom-based software training at Edge’s Digital Testing Hub in Bellshill. Duncan Small, a Principal Consultant at Edge Testing, said:

“We’re delighted to welcome the first cohort of SQA-accredited Edge Academy graduates to our team. As committed advocates of the industry, we have been dedicated to closing the software testing skills gap through our industry-leading award for software testing for almost a decade now.”

During their time in the programme, the graduates covered many subjects like theory and practice in software testing and will now enter employment with Edge Testing as qualified SQA-certified software-testing professionals.

The qualification the graduates have earned was the first software testing customised award to be credit-rated by SQA on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.

Klaudia Dziubek applied to Edge Academy straight after leaving secondary education in Glasgow and writes a blog in her free time to help encourage others to think of a career in software testing. She said:

“Firstly, and most importantly I gathered the technical knowledge about software testing processes, models, projects and more. Secondly, I gathered soft skills such as communication skills and self-confidence.”

She concluded by saying that she also managed to improve her team working skills.