Teesside University launches new Skills Bootcamps to connect people into employment

Vital digital skills to help learners improve their employability are being taught by Teesside University.

The programme of flexible courses, which are free to those who meet eligibility requirements*, forms part of an Institute of Coding-led programme of 20 Skills Bootcamps.

The Institute of Coding (IoC) is a collaborative national consortium of industry, educators and outreach providers that are working together to respond to the UK’s digital skills gap through the delivery of employer-led digital skills education. The IoC consortium, which is led by the University of Bath, was announced by Government today as a provider for the Department for Education’s (DfE) Skills Bootcamps.

Skills Bootcamps are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up tech skills and fast-track to an interview with an employer. They are being developed by the Government as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs, in partnership with employers, providers and local authorities. The Skills Bootcamps will provide learners with best-in-class digital skills education and deliver resilient pathways to work, with each learner receiving the opportunity to interview with an employer upon the successful completion of their Skills Bootcamp.

As part of this provision, Teesside University will be providing three Skills Bootcamps designed and delivered in collaboration with our industry partners to ensure they are what industry need. Each Skills Bootcamp will provide 16 weeks of teaching plus a bespoke employability programme delivered by our specialist careers team. Suitable for the employed, self employed or employed, Teesside will be running our Skills Bootcamps from September 2021 in the areas of: - Data Analytics and Visualisation: from Advanced Excel to Power BI - Machine Learning and AI for Business Applications - UI/UX Design for Games

Using a collaborative approach, Teesside University’s School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies is working with the IoC to ensure that each step of the Skills Bootcamp journey is high-quality and tailored to meet the needs of employers and those looking to upskill to boost their employability.

Siobhan Fenton, Associate Dean (Enterprise and Business Engagement) of the School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies, said: “We are delighted to be able to work with the IoC to offer these courses.

“Digital skills play a vital role in the modern business. We are delighted to be fulfilling our remit as an engine of economic growth by helping learners access employment through the application of skills which will make a major impact in their workplace.”

Rachid Hourizi, Director of the IoC, said: “The Institute of Coding is pleased to be working with 13 respected UK universities to deliver 20 IoC-led Skills Bootcamps. This allows us to keep the focus on high-quality digital skills provision and builds on our existing 150+ courses, on which we’ve enrolled 900,000 learners to date. Our consortium has proven experience delivering best-in-class digital skills education that helps a diverse group of people into employment.”

If you are a prospective learner or employer and are interested in learning more about the IoC-led Skills Bootcamps, please visit the link below.

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