Embarking on healthcare technology career after leaving his home as a refugee during his teenage years, Yousif is passionate about making a difference. He reflects on an apprenticeship in which he has worked alongside technology innovators and the hospital teams that put solutions into practice for patient care.
When Yousif saw an opportunity advertised to learn skills that would help him begin a technology career, his attention was caught.
Yousif, who had studied computer installation and maintenance in high school, became a refugee when he was aged 17.
It meant he had to leave his home in Iraq, and he could no longer continue his education. Yousif arrived in Belfast in 2022.
“I was looking to get into education again, and found this opportunity,” he says. “Already, I can say this has been the best position of my life.”
He refers to an employability programme launched by The King’s Trust, formerly The Prince’s Trust, and medical imaging and cybersecurity company Sectra in 2024.
Gaining significant interest, the programme in Northern Ireland aimed to equip young people from under-represented backgrounds with practical skills and insights to help them apply for positions, as well as providing a taste of what it is like to work in the healthcare technology sector.
As part of the programme Yousif was successful in being offered an apprenticeship with Sectra.
“Healthcare was completely new to me,” he explains.
“But this is already way better than I could have imagined. It’s technology that makes a difference, that helps clinical teams as they save lives.”
Supporting technology that matters to people’s lives
Yousif
Headquartered in Sweden, Sectra provides imaging and diagnostic solutions to hospitals around the world – allowing radiology, pathology and other diagnostic teams to access, review and report on patient scans and slides.
This might mean an examination involving an x-ray, CT, PET, ultrasound or MRI scan, or digital images of patient tissue, which can inform vital patient diagnoses and allow healthcare professionals to monitor progression.
A substantial number of healthcare providers throughout the UK use Sectra’s technology, known as an enterprise imaging solution, including diagnostic teams throughout Health and Social Care Northern Ireland, in one of the largest initiatives of its kind called NIPACS+.
These are the customers Yousif has been supporting since just the first few weeks of his apprenticeship.
“We have the best customers: they are super nice, and they help me to learn,” he says.
“Each time I’m on the phone with the customer we have a conversation that helps build a relationship, as well as responding to their needs.”
Yousif’s role has been to support customers as a first line engineer – where he has been trained to create environments to link hospital worklists to the Sectra software, so that diagnostic images can be appropriately stored.
He is also a first point of contact for hospital teams requiring advice or encountering issues – where he helps to arrange appropriate engineer responses to ensure timely action and prevent disruption to hospital workflows.
Learning has been a mixture of formal training, mentoring, and doing.
“I wouldn’t have felt so comfortable on calls and dealing with customers without the amazing training and hands-on experience I’ve had,” he says.
He adds: “The highlight for me at the beginning – a visit to a hospital.” This helped him to understand more deeply how customers use the technology that he helps to support.
‘So invested in my personal growth’
Yousif’s experience has helped him to develop significantly, even from a relatively early stage in the programme.
“I’ve developed my skills so much – my technical skills, communication skills, and problem-solving skills,” he says. “I’m a much better team player.”
It’s the team, and the organisational culture, to which he attributes that development. “It’s incredible: You get to learn every day at Sectra,” he says.
“You are surrounded by very knowledgeable people who are happy to lead you, support you and help you grow.”
“I’ve made friends for life,” he adds.
“They are the nicest people to talk to. Everyone works with everyone. I’m surrounded by people who are really motivated, passionate and driven.
“People who want to make a difference. I wake up every day wanting to be part of this team.”
Yousif has also been able to expand his knowledge beyond the scope of the apprenticeship.
“Sectra has been so invested in my personal growth,” he explains. “I explained my interest in AI.
“Although this isn’t part of my current job, the company offered to pay for me to do a coding course. It shows how much the company cares about my personal growth, and they want me to learn.”
A future in healthcare technology
Yousif has already been made to feel he can make a difference in his role. He gives an example of how he was encouraged by Sectra colleagues to share his ideas when he first started the apprenticeship.
“Those ideas triggered a big conversation,” he says. “It was amazing realising I’m not just there to learn, but to participate.”
This experience has given Yousif a clear direction on where he wants his career to grow.
“I am 100 per cent excited for a career in healthcare technology,” he concludes. “I want to do something that makes a difference, and this is something I love.”
