Building with code
Lee Lindsay, Transformation Consultant with Code Institute, tells us why software development is such a hot topic right now in the UK. He tells us how Code Institute works with businesses on the ground throughout Britain and how upskilling and preparing for a digital business future is vital.
What is Code Institute, and what is your role?
Code Institute is an education company that specialises in training learners for careers in software development and technology. We serve and support learners directly and through our partners. Partners may be other training providers, corporate entities, government agencies or academic partners from the world of further and higher education.
Why is software development such a hot topic right now in the UK?
Software development has been a hot topic for decades; why it remains a hot topic is the interesting piece. Technology is a fast-moving target, while it is one of the single biggest enablers for business, it can also present many headaches and challenges.
In particular, organisations struggle to hire and retain digital talent. This problem is commonly referred to as the digital skills gap. It is the single biggest reason that we exist as an organisation. We are here to help individuals and businesses acquire the skills needed for roles in technology, regardless of their background
What are Code Institute’s plans for the UK?
The UK is a key part of our growth plans. It’s a huge market, and it’s heavily populated with technology organisations of almost every size. The majority of our graduates to date are UK-based, but we still believe that we can do more. We have built strong relationships with awarding organisations, with colleges in the FE sector, as well as with local enterprise to increase the accessibility of our courseware to those who would otherwise have a means of self-funding their education.
This approach helps learners acquire the necessary skills and qualifications in software development to find employment. In the wake of COVID-19, the demand for these skills has increased dramatically. According to sources like the World Economic Forum, this demand will continue to grow. In the WEF’s Future of Jobs Report 2020, they anticipate that as many as 85 million roles will be displaced over the next five years, only to be replaced by as many as 97 million tech-focused roles.
“The majority of our graduates to date are UK-based, but we still believe that we can do more..”
How do you work with local businesses?
We work with businesses in many ways. Broadly though, we focus on three areas:
1.Consultancy
All of our courseware is employer-led. We consult directly with organisations, both large and small, to get consensus on industry needs. We then build our programmes around these requirements. For our learners, this means that the skills they learn are ones that will be relevant and resonant for prospective employers.
2. Job-Ready Talent
As a result of our training, we have a conveyor belt of job-ready talent for employer partners.
3. Reskilling/Upskilling
We work with organisations to upskill and reskill their staff. We have sophisticated ways of testing employees en masse in terms of their readiness for training, and we can advise partner organisations on their training strategies.
“We consult directly with organisations, both large and small, to get consensus on industry needs. We then build our programmes around these requirements.”
How do people learn on your programme?
We have invested heavily to ensure that our LMS is the best it can be, and we have built our platform based on Harvard and MIT’s edX platform. The vast majority of our students learn 100% online. On occasion, we create blended learning delivery methods with chosen partners.
As the vast majority of our students are brand new to software development, we see support as being crucially important. Between Student Care, 24/5 plus weekend Tutor Support, Personal Mentors, Community Support and Career Services, what’s on offer is fantastic.
When a student begins on our programme, one of the first support pillars they will encounter is our Student Care team. With Student Care, a schedule will be devised based on conversations around a student’s own goals, the amount of time they intend on spending on the programme and other circumstances.
Throughout the programme, we offer 24/5 plus weekend Tutor support. This is to help with any technical issues or questions that a student may need assistance on throughout their learning.
On our programme, a student is not graded on exams. However, they receive their grades based on the completion of four milestone projects. To assist in these projects, we supply individual mentors to each student. These are industry professionals with years of software development experience.
Code Institute has also devised amazing community support opportunities, where students can interact, converse, and work with each other interactively through Slack and other such channels.
“We have sophisticated ways of testing employees en masse in terms of their readiness for training, and we can advise partner organisations on their training strategies.”
Code Institute works with businesses, governments and training organisations to deliver software development and coding skills which accelerate digital transformation for businesses and to provide future-proof workforce skills.
To find out more about Code Institute, visit their website here or email lee@codeinstitute.net to arrange a consultation.
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