Grad Programme
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Graduate software development programme for emerging talent

Grad Programme

Where your passion meets purpose.

Apply to become a Grad

What you learn during the BBD Grad Programme

The formal year-long programme starts in January in South Africa and August in India, and not only gives you hands-on project experience from day one, but also exposes you to different languages, tools, approaches and methodologies to grow the breadth of your technical knowledge. By taking part in both group and individual learning with the help of dedicated advisors and mentors throughout the year, as well as through diving into project teams as a permanent BBD employee, our programme acts as a launchpad into a successful career in software development, while shaping you into a professional who thrives in any team.

Through a combination of online, in-class, group and individual learning, we’ve also made sure to pack our programme with all the good stuff… because we wouldn’t be BBD if we didn’t have fun while working hard. From battle decks, team events, and game jams to tech talks and guest lectures – it’s a year like no other. More than just another grad programme with BBD. 

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Grad tracks

Built to give you a strong start in your career, our programme offers two specialised tracks that balance practical learning, guided mentorship and real-world project experience. Both tracks are specially designed to help you explore your strengths, build in-demand skills and gain clarity on where you want to grow. Explore the tracks below.

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Software engineering track

Dive into the dynamic world of software development and engineering, gaining hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies as you participate in collaborative projects and enhance your coding skills.

Business Analysis track

Sharpen your analytical skills and business acumen as you embark on the Business Analysis track. Learn to bridge the gap between business needs and technical solutions as you prepare for a pivotal role in shaping organisational success.

Breakdown

Programme breakdown

BBD’s Grad Programme is your way to learn – based on heaps of research and a firm understanding of the industry, we’ve crafted our programme to not only further develop your core programming language skills; but also grow your knowledge of in a host of modern technologies, tools, applications and methodologies.

We’ve broken the programme down into four key areas, each helping you get more tech savvy and comfortable with what you need to know so that you can thrive in this industry. The programme focuses on deepening your tech knowledge and gaining project experience throughout the year, while encouraging individualised learning where you dive into areas that interest you. Throughout it all you learn by having fun. 

Deeper technical capability, built with confidence

Whether you’re coming in strong in one language or still filling gaps across the stack, the programme is designed to grow your technical ability from foundational knowledge into practical engineering skill. You’ll strengthen what you already know while expanding into areas you may not have touched yet, from C#, Java and JavaScript to relational and non-relational databases, cloud fundamentals, modern front-end frameworks, AI, and full-stack development.

As you progress, you’ll move beyond syntax into architecture, patterns and problem-solving, learning how to design systems, build services, reason about performance and think like an engineer rather than just a coder. You’ll get hands-on exposure to DevOps practices, version control, CI/CD pipelines, containerisation and secure-by-design thinking, supported by training in testing fundamentals to help you ship work you can trust.

By the end of the programme, you’ll have closed knowledge gaps, strengthened your core skills and built the confidence to apply them in real delivery environments through hands-on project work. More than learning tools, you’ll learn how to build things that work – in production, at scale, with pride.

  • Personalised learning journey
  • Dedicated advisor
  • Access to valuable highly rated material
  • Collaboration with industry experts
  • Self-directed assisted learning
  • Meeting personal technical goals
  • Hands-on experience
  • Dedicated mentor
  • Build in your primary language
  • Small to large teams
  • Collaborative work
  • Team-based learning
  • Hackathons
  • Game jams
  • Tech talks
  • Battle decks
  • Internal and external guest lectures

Key Benefits

Why you want to work with us

Work environment and culture

  • Full-time employee from Day 1; a BBDer first, a grad second
  • Own annual tech event – Escape
  • Onsite tech lab
  • Endless opportunities to grow
  • Offices around the world with team crossing continents
  • Cultural exchanges between offices
  • Epic internal events and parties
  • Vibrant company culture

Learning and development

  • Gamified Continuous Learning Programme
  • Support and encouragement in creating a career you’re proud of
  • Easy access to mentoring
  • Exposure to a myriad of technologies
  • AWS Premier Tier Partner
  • Microsoft Gold Partner



Community and social impact

  • Over 1 200+ super clever tech experts
  • Proudly empower talented female coders
  • We attend and sponsor major conferences
  • Founded programme with Umuzi
  • Founding partner of WeThinkCode_
  • Involved in tech community

Client and project engagement

  • Join a real client delivery team from day one, contributing to live projects that make a measurable impact
  • Work alongside experiences engineers who guide, support and challenge you as you grow your technical confidence
  • Build meaningful features and solve real-world problems across industries
  • Gain exposure to client ways of working, from Agile ceremonies to technical decision-making, so you understand how products come to life end to end

And there's more

Perks of being a BBD Grad

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Growth opportunities

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Continuous learning

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BBD swag

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Battle Dex

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Tech talks

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Grad trip

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Access to Pluralsight

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Pizza and beer afternoons

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Dedicated advisors

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Facetime with BBDers

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Epic team builds

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Hands on experience