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Interview: Computing Degree Apprentice Tom Nelson-Smith

26 Mar 2026

Flick through our rapid-fire interview with new computing degree apprentice Tom Nelson-Smith. Unlike Danny, who shared his story earlier this month, Tom is at the start of his early career journey. In this interview, he shares a love for science, the practical computing skills he is developing, and advice he'd give to anyone considering an apprenticeship at STFC.

A graphic titled “Tech Talks: Tom Nelson‑Smith” featuring a headshot of Tom Nelson‑Smith inside a circular blue border. Tom has curly brown hair and is looking at the camera. To the right, text introduces him as a degree apprentice sharing his experiences in computing and science research. STFC and UKRI logos appear at the bottom with
A blue and orange graphic with the heading “Why did you choose computing?” followed by a quotation in a rounded text box that reads: "Initially, I studied physics because I have always loved those moments when something clicks, and you get a new insight into the world around you. However, I also enjoyed coding projects more than working on maths problems, so I ended up looking for a software engineering apprenticeship which would still offer the chance to work in science." UKRI and STFC logos are at the bottom with “2 of 10.”
A blue and orange graphic with the heading “What interested you about STFC?” followed by a quotation in a rounded text box that reads: "Seeing as I'd always loved science, when I saw there were positions available at labs that build particle accelerators and run dark matter experiments, I applied to as many apprenticeships as I could at STFC." UKRI and STFC logos are at the bottom with “3 of 10.”
A blue and orange graphic with the heading “What are you working on now?” followed by a quotation in a rounded text box that reads: "I’m working on a project using Python, connecting sensors to a Raspberry Pi (a tiny computer) which hosts a website displaying their readings. This is partly a practice project, but we are hoping it could be useful linking events like overheating equipment to outlier data." UKRI and STFC logos are at the bottom with “4 of 10.”
A blue and orange graphic with the heading “What is a highlight of your apprenticeship so far?" followed by a quotation in a rounded text box that reads: "After studying for so long it’s been nice to work on real projects which will support real science. Also, having a workday which is flexible and allows for big blocks of time focusing on one project really suits my workstyle." UKRI and STFC logos are at the bottom with “6 of 10.”
A blue and orange graphic with the heading “What was the most challenging part of your apprenticeship so far?" followed by a quotation in a rounded text box that reads: "Managing the workload between university and work has definitely been challenging. I’ve been trying to get better at predicting how long tasks should take and scheduling my time, so I don’t focus on one project to the detriment of another." UKRI and STFC logos are at the bottom with “7 of 10.”
A blue and orange graphic with the heading “What have you learned working in our Nuclear Physics Group?" followed by a quotation in a rounded text box that reads: "Mostly, I've learnt technical skills like design patterns, version control and using Bash/Linux systems. Recently, I’ve also spent a lot of time researching problems for my line manager and presenting potential solutions. I’ve enjoyed spending more time on reading and developing research skills." UKRI and STFC logos are at the bottom with “8 of 10.”
A blue and orange graphic with the heading “What advice would you give to someone interested in starting an apprenticeship?" followed by a quotation in a rounded text box that reads: "When you’re starting out don’t get overwhelmed by the amount you have to learn, there are a lot of acronyms and field specific technologies used at STFC and most of the people here are experts in their fields. If you keep asking questions, you’ll be the one confusing people before you know it." UKRI and STFC logos are at the bottom with “9 of 10.”
A blue and orange graphic with the heading “What is next for your apprenticeship?" followed by a quotation in a rounded text box that reads: "I still have three years of my apprenticeship left. Next year I’ll be working on a project creating a test suite for the PyDaq software being developed in our lab. This is a little daunting, as the suite will have to mimic the outputs of physical hardware, but exciting as I’ll be contributing to a project which will be deployed in many labs." UKRI and STFC logos are at the bottom with “10 of 10.”

​​This highlight was originally shared on STFC’s LinkedIn.

Team member