Software coding training providers, Northcoders, have secured £4 million of government funding to continue offering skills bootcamps, it was announced today (9 August).
Introduced a year ago with backing from the Department for Education, the 13-week individual scholarships give participants the chance to gain job-specific skills and a fast-track to an interview with a local employer.
Northcoders claims that, upon completion, students will have gained the skills required for a role as a junior software developer.
The funding has been awarded not only to teach software development, but can also be used to support students in the company’s data engineering business unit, slated to be launched in the autumn.
While the original bootcamps were restricted to residents in the north-east, Yorkshire and the Midlands, the new scholarship seats are eligible for award anywhere in England.
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Applicants must be 19 or over to be eligible for the programme, and can be in full- or part-time work, self-employed, recently unemployed or returning to work after a break, and looking to quickly build their skills in a specific area and fast-track into a new career.
Participants are also offered careers advice and CV writing workshops, as well as gaining access to Northcoders’ internal jobs board, where they will be able to view and directly apply for junior software developer roles.
Pronouncing himself “delighted” with the latest contract win, Northcoders’ CEO, Chris Hill, said: “As well as providing the company with additional revenue visibility, it also demonstrates how well-regarded our technology training courses are in the UK.
“With one of the company’s core values being to improve diversity and inclusion within the tech industry, Northcoders are pleased to continue to offer these scholarships that provide accessibility to people from all walks of life across the UK whilst helping address the significant UK digital skills gap.”