Enrolling in a free digital skills boot camp could help people land jobs that pay 55 percent more than the national average salary, research claims.
The government-backed bootcamps, which initially launched in 2021, aim to fill gaps in entry-level recruitment for technology companies, as the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology looks to keep the UK tech sector growing. .
Research by Barclays Eagle Labs and Beauhurst, funded by a DSIT digital growth grant, indicates that some of those who complete the bootcamps could earn more than £70,000 in cloud computing fields – more than double the salary national average.
Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan speaks with Arin Ososanya, as the government launches its registration campaign for digital skills boot camps.
He Digital skills bootcamps are part of a fully funded course package.lasting up to 16 weeks, offered nationwide and covering topics such as heavy vehicle driving, project management and construction.
Courses are open to those aged 19 or over who have the right to work in the UK, live in England and meet residency requirements. Crucially, these courses do not require any prior knowledge or qualifications, just a good knowledge of English.
Within the technology sector, the Government is launching a campaign to increase enrollment on its digital skills courses, with the upskilling program aimed at boosting the “five priority skills” where there are gaps in initial recruitment in the technology sector: cloud computing, cybersecurity. , software development, data and analytics and web development.
The Barclays Eagle Labs study shows that demand for young employees in the tech industry has increased since 2022, although it noted that tech job postings as a whole decreased in 2023.
Michelle Donelan, Technology Secretary, told This is Money: ‘Technology is changing the needs of our labor market and our economy and the way we live; We are going to need to learn to have a different approach to education.
‘We need to develop a culture of lifelong learning and the ability of people to be able to retrain and improve their skills, to be able to move into different areas and different sectors.
“And that’s why things like boot camps are so fundamentally important as a tool that allows people to be able to do that.”
Beyond simply improving skills, the boot camps aim to help people find employment in their chosen sector, and each person is guaranteed a job interview with an employer after completing the course, Donelan said.
“The success rate is about 50 per cent (for these interviews),” the technology secretary said, “but obviously in the long term it will be much higher because you get this and you put it on your CV and it will unlock opportunities afterwards.”
“We want people to be able to unlock these jobs,” he added.
Bootcamp helped me get Google UX certificate
For Arin Ososanya, the tech bootcamp allowed her to build a career as a community manager and lead user experience designer at Next Tech Girls.
Despite studying economics and Spanish in college, Arin found a passion for UX design that he knew he couldn’t fulfill with his chosen career.
‘Throughout my career, I signed up for different hackathons. “I did Google’s Black Googler Network hackathon, which my team won, and that really encouraged me to continue looking for technology opportunities,” he told This is Money.
Skills bootcamps include courses on cloud computing, cybersecurity, software development, data and analytics, and web development.
‘I tried to get the Google UX certificate on my own, as a student during my time at university, but it was difficult because I was juggling my full-time degree in a non-tech field, learning an online course for myself.’
However, upon enrolling in the bootcamp after graduating, Arin discovered that the 16-week program allowed him to complete the Google certificate as part of a community, something that “was missing when I was trying to do it on my own.”
Another benefit Arin found was the flexibility of the course offerings.
“It was at my own pace,” he said. “The flexibility helped me because I was already working nine to five at my internship.” So I had to put it in my diary.’
“I would try to wake up at like five in the morning and then wake up between six and eight, and then go to work for my internship.”
Adie Nunn landed a role at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence after completing a coding skills bootcamp
According to Donelan, the bootcamp courses are designed to be as accessible as possible, and the 16-week programs allow people to learn skills in a short period, without having to commit the same time they would need for other educational opportunities.
The courses, many of which are offered online, are also available to those on Universal Credit, which you can continue to claim during the course. Since bootcamps are free, they are available to those priced out of university and private courses.
“One thing I really appreciated about the program was its accessibility and the fact that it was fully funded, so someone who may not be able to afford college can still access the information,” Arin said.
The enrollment drive, Donelan said, “is about broadening people’s horizons, making sure they know that these opportunities and these doors are not close to them.” That this course is free and accessible.’
“It gives you that short, strong burst of skills and experience to then go on and get a job or an internship in these areas and have a career path and something that is very rewarding and an area that is going to grow in importance.”
Another success story, Adie Nunn, completed a web development bootcamp with School of Code, before landing a role at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence.
Before signing up, Adie had worked as an event promoter and pop-up event manager.
“I was interested in computers and technology from an early age,” he said, “but, without a degree in computer science, and having failed my higher education in mathematics and computer science in school, I never thought that a career in technology would be possible.”
‘After changing positions and being laid off during the pandemic, I tried the Code School bootcamp and never looked back.
“The technical and soft skills I developed on the course were crucial in securing my current role as a software engineer at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, where I work on fascinating and challenging projects.”
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