When Leanne Goldsmith was made redundant in 2025, she didn’t step away from tech. She went looking for more of it. Today she’s a Junior IS Architect at UK Power Networks, recently recognised with a Living Our Values Award, and working in a field she hadn’t considered a year earlier. 

At a glance 

  • Role: Junior IS Architect 
  • Organisation: UK Power Networks 
  • Before La Fosse Academy: Advertising, then front-end development 
  • Joined La Fosse Academy: November 2025 

A non-traditional route into tech 

Leanne started her career in advertising. She was always curious about the technology behind the campaigns, so during the pandemic she taught herself to code through an intensive course. 

“What began as a way to develop new skills quickly became a passion,” she says. “I discovered I enjoyed solving problems, building things and constantly learning. From that point on, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in technology.” 

That curiosity took her into a front-end developer role at an advertising agency. 

Turning redundancy into a reset 

A company-wide restructure in 2025 ended that role. Leanne used the time to widen her technical knowledge, studying for CompTIA Network+ and Security+ to understand how technology works beyond software development. 

She’s honest about the doubts. Could she keep learning alongside the demands of a full-time job? Could she keep pace with an industry that never stands still? 

“What helped me overcome that was treating learning as part of my routine rather than something extra,” she explains. “By setting aside dedicated time each week and staying consistent, my confidence grew over time.” 

Finding La Fosse Academy 

Leanne came across La Fosse Academy through an AI-powered job matching platform, which recommended it based on her skills and goals. It stood out for three reasons: structured training, exposure to a wide range of technical skills, and employers actively looking to develop junior talent. 

“At that stage of my career, gaining hands-on experience was just as important as gaining qualifications,” she says. “It felt like the ideal route to build both my confidence and professional experience.” 

Discovering architecture 

Leanne arrived with a strong mix of technical and communication skills. Her development background helped with the coding. Her stakeholder experience gave her the confidence to ask questions and help explain technical concepts to her peers. 

The biggest shift, though, was seeing how much of tech she hadn’t yet explored. 

“Coming from a development background, I had a fairly narrow view of what a career in tech could look like. Learning about architecture completely changed that. It’s not just about technology itself, it’s about understanding how people, processes and systems come together to deliver better outcomes.” 

She then joined an architecture team at UK Power Networks and put that learning straight into practice. 

What a typical week looks like now 

No two days are the same. The week usually starts with team meetings and stand-ups to agree priorities and tackle challenges. From there, Leanne’s time splits across: 

  • Supporting projects through governance processes 
  • Reviewing proposals 
  • Facilitating workshops 
  • Working with subject matter experts to understand systems and business requirements 

“A big part of the role is connecting people, processes and technology,” she says. “There’s always an opportunity to learn something new and contribute to positive change across the organisation.” 

Bringing a creative eye to architecture 

Advertising, marketing and front-end development gave Leanne a perspective that most architects don’t start with. She thinks naturally about how information is presented and how people interact with processes, tools and content. 

That shows up in her work every day, whether she’s redesigning a SharePoint page, building visual process maps or improving documentation. 

“Helping people understand and adopt change can be just as important as the technology itself,” she says. 

Recognition that confirmed the move 

Leanne knew she’d made the right call when colleagues started recognising the value she was adding. “It was reassuring to know that my ideas, questions and perspective were valued, even as someone early in their architecture career.” 

That recognition became formal when she received a Living Our Values Award at UK Power Networks, nominated for initiatives and improvements she had been leading. 

“What made it particularly meaningful was that it recognised not only the work itself, but also the progress I’ve made since starting my journey with La Fosse Academy.” 

Leanne’s advice: “go for it” 

“It can be easy to stay within your comfort zone, but real growth often comes from taking opportunities that challenge you. The worst outcome is that you don’t get the role, but if you never apply, you’ll never know where it could have taken you.” 

“La Fosse Academy never felt like a training provider. It felt like a support network that genuinely wanted me to succeed.”