Sonu Satheesan and Monu Satheesan, both 20 from London, dodged university this summer to enrol on tech apprenticeships at top firms Morgan Stanley and NCR.
Monu Satheesan applied for an apprenticeship via Multiverse, the edtech start-up recently valued at $1.7bn, seeking an alternative to university.
Days later, his twin brother Sonu followed in his footsteps and quit his Biomedical Sciences degree at the University of East Anglia to apply as well.
Both found places within months of each other. Monu began his apprenticeship in May at the US tech firm NCR. Sonu is due to begin his own apprenticeship at Morgan Stanley(opens new window) in September. They will both be enrolled on the same programme - Multiverse’s Digital Business Accelerator.
The twins first heard about apprenticeships through their sister-in-law’s cousin, Arun Nair, who is also enrolled on an apprenticeship at marketing firm GroupM.
Sonu said: “I wasn’t really enjoying my course at uni, so when I saw that Monu had signed up for an apprenticeship I thought I’d try the same. I applied to a couple of different places, including Morgan Stanley. I wasn’t sure if I had a shot, but I thought I’d give it a go.
“I was so happy to get through the interview and get accepted for a role and now I just can’t wait to start.”
Monu added: “I was never interested in the traditional university route and preferred the idea of going straight into employment, as a more hands-on individual.
“I was introduced to Multiverse and instantly gave it a shot after seeing their reviews and the number of exciting apprenticeship roles they had on the website. They helped me right from the beginning to the end to land on an apprenticeship at NCR. NCR is the world’s enterprise technology leader for restaurants, retailers and banks and I feel privileged to be able to represent such a prestigious organisation.
“This is the new path for future generations as it will allow them to flourish into successful professional growth.”
The brothers faced a difficult year after their mum was diagnosed with blood cancer, and Sonu was required to take time out to care for her. She is now in remission and supports the boys’ decision to bypass the traditional university route.
Naivasha Mwanji, Partnerships and Outreach Manager at Multiverse, said: “Monu and Sonu have seen for themselves the power that apprenticeships have to change lives and kickstart careers. We’re so pleased to welcome them to the Multiverse community and hope their story encourages others to look carefully at their options for the future.”
