Enrolling in a free digital skills bootcamp could help people push into jobs that pay 55 per cent more than the national average wage, research claims.
Government-backed bootcamps, which were initially launched in 2021, are intended to fill gaps in entry level recruitment for technology companies, as the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology looks to maintain the growth of the UK’s tech sector.
Research by Barclays Eagle Labs and Beauhurst, funded by a digital growth grant from DSIT, indicates that some who complete the bootcamps could find themselves earning more than £70,000 in cloud computing fields, more than twice the national average wage.
Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan speaks to Arin Ososanya, as the government launches its enrolment drive for digital skills bootcamps
The digital skills bootcamps are part of a bundle of fully-funded courses, lasting up to 16 weeks, that are offered around the country, covering subjects such as HGV driving, project management and construction.
The courses are open to those over 19 who have the right to work in the UK, live in England and meet residency requirements. Critically, these courses don’t require any previous knowledge or qualifications, just a good grasp of English.
Within the tech sector, the Government is launching a drive to increase enrolment in its digital skills courses, with the upskilling programme intended to boost ‘five priority skills’ where there are gaps in entry-level recruitment in the tech sector: cloud computing, cybersecurity, software development, data and analytics and web development.
Barclays Eagle Labs’ study shows that demand for junior recruits in the tech industry has risen since 2022, although it noted that tech job adverts as a whole decreased in 2023.
Michelle Donelan, Technology Secretary, told This is Money: ‘Technology is changing our labour market needs and our economy and the way that 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 reskill and upskill, to be able to move into different areas and different sectors.
‘And that’s why things like bootcamps are so fundamentally important as an enabling tool for people to be able to do that.’
Beyond just upskilling, the bootcamps are intended to help people find jobs in their chosen sector, with each person guaranteed a job interview with an employer after completing the course, Donelan said.
‘The success rate is roughly about 50 per cent [for these interviews],’ the technology secretary said, ‘but obviously, in the longer term, it’ll 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,’ she added.
Bootcamp helped me get Google UX certificate
For Arin Ososanya, the tech bootcamp enabled her to build a career as a community manager and lead user experience designer at Next Tech Girls.
Despite studying economics and Spanish at university, Arin found a passion for UX design that she knew could not be satisfied by her choice of degree.
‘Throughout my degree, I enrolled in different hackathons. I did Google’s Black Googler Network hackathon, which my team won, and that really encouraged me to keep going with seeking out tech opportunities,’ she told This is Money.
The skills bootcamps include courses on cloud computing, cybersecurity, software development, data and analytics and web development
‘I did try to do the Google UX certificate on my own, as a student during my time at university, but it was hard because I was juggling my full-time degree in a non-tech-related field, learning a course online by myself.’
Enrolling in the bootcamp after graduating, however, Arin found that the 16 week programme allowed her to complete the Google certificate as part of a community, one that she ‘lacked when I was trying to do it on my own.’
Another benefit Arin found was the flexibility of the course offerings.
‘It was self paced,’ she said, ‘The flexibility helped because I already was working nine to five at my internship. So I, I had to fit it into my schedule.’
‘I would try and wake up by like five in the morning and then do it between six and eight, and then go to work for my internship.’
Adie Nunn secured a role at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence after completing a skills bootcamp in coding
According to Donelan, the bootcamp courses are designed to be as accessible as possible, with the 16 week programmes allowing people to learn skills over a short period, without having to make the same time commitments they would need to for other educational opportunities.
The courses, many of which are offered online, are also available for those on Universal Credit, which you can continue to claim during the course. With the bootcamps being free, they are available to those that are priced out of university and private courses.
‘One thing that I really appreciated about the programme was the accessibility of it, and the fact that it was fully funded, so someone who perhaps can’t afford to pay for university can still access the information,’ Arin said.
The enrolment drive, Donelan said, is ‘about broadening people’s horizons, making sure that they know that these opportunities, and these doors are not close to them. That this course is free and is accessible.’
‘It gives you that short, sharp burst of skills and expertise to then go on and get a job or an apprenticeship in these areas and have a career path and something that is highly 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 scoring a role with BAE Systems Digital Intelligence.
Prior to enrolling, Adie had worked as an event promoter and as front of house for pop-up events.
‘I was interested in computers and tech from a young age,’ She said, ‘But, without a computer science degree – and having failed my highers in maths and computing at school – I never thought a career in tech would be possible.’
‘After jumping between roles and being made redundant in the pandemic, I gave the School of Code bootcamp a go and have 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 get to work on fascinating, challenging projects.’
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