IMDA’s Post

Did you know that the UK is set to be a global leader at the forefront of software advancements, and by 2025 it is reported that there will be 705,000 tech vacancies across the UK – but who will fill these roles? 🤔 The software industry is growing at a faster rate than the current available development talent. Basically, once your senior developers retire...there will be a lack of trained, skilled talent available to pick up the demand nationwide. Our Software Development apprenticeship is key to ensuring we continue to train and retain young software talent - so what is the main issue we're facing? A lack of companies welcoming software development apprentices to their team is the main obstacle that I personally find within my role. The idea that apprentices are unable to contribute to projects straight away being the main objection I receive. Did you know that apprentices can come in and contribute to your projects by simple bug fixing and writing simple code in the first instance until they build up their skills? The remedial jobs that your more senior developers spend their time doing when their time could be better spent on higher level projects. This financial year, we're aiming to create 200 new job opportunities for software apprentices. If welcoming a software apprentice to your team is something you could look into, please drop me a message and I'll give you some more info 😊🙌🏽! #Software #SoftwareDevelopment #SkillsGap #Coding

For the last few months, I’ve had a few people ask me HOW I transitioned from a medical career into a technology one, and following my last post, these questions have only intensified so I thought to address an important question first before delving into the details of my “how” In 2014, a friend who knows how much I love exploring my curiosity shared an apprenticeship opportunity I thought was in the realm of Impossibilities. Andela was accepting applications from anyone interested in getting into a software engineering role. They provided a beginner-friendly home study curriculum. I made my first attempt to get into the Andela software engineering boot camp but juggling a demanding nursing job and school made it impossible for me to keep up so the obvious choice was to postpone the tech career. Unfortunately, at the time when I had made up my mind to pursue it, Andela had closed shop on that apprenticeship program. Fast forward to 2021, I decided to pivot into tech. I’d fully paid my dues in the medical world for over eight years, from working 12-hour shifts six days a week to traveling and living in the remotest areas of the eastern and western parts of Uganda for a research study. I had seen it all and now earned the right to live life on my terms. As a good friend of mine says, I wanted to eat life on a big spoon (Hi Clive) Back then I didn’t mind the exhaustion that came with working 2 or 3 jobs but with every passing year, my WHY became clear, and I eventually defined it. FREEDOM. I needed lots of it. To be where I wanted to be without having to ask for HR’s permission or swap out my duties. To not miss any family events because I used up all my leave days. To be available for my family and friends when they needed me the most. I wanted to be in charge of my time. Something my nursing career wouldn’t allow me My husband was already living this life. He works from wherever he wants. All he needs is his laptop and internet. He gave me the much-needed push to step out of my comfort zone and I’m glad He did. My transitioning journey has not been all that rosy but defining my WHY early has helped me stay grounded and focused. Whenever I wanted to give up or crawl back to my comfort career, I always remembered WHY I left in the first place and that put me back on track. So what’s your WHY? Why do you want that new Job so bad? Why do you want that Scholarship? Why do you want to start that business? Whatever your reason is stick with it and know You got this.

Curious about coding bootcamp job placement rates? Job placement rates indicate the percentage of graduates who secured tech jobs within a specific timeframe after completing their bootcamps. The numbers can vary across schools, reflecting their effectiveness in preparing students for real-world opportunities. 🌐💡 #FAQ #Friday #Bootcamp

Supercharge your career while in college! 🚀 Join our program for 1st-3rd year students aspiring to excel in software development. Gain hands-on experience, learn from experts, and network with top tech firms. Enroll now to jumpstart your tech journey and be a future software pro! . . Registration link given below: https://lnkd.in/ga5qq9zq Here's what you can expect: ✅ Fast-track learning methodology tailored for quick absorption of essential skills. ✅ Exclusive networking opportunities with Industry Tech and HR teams. ✅ Engaging Codethons to test and enhance your coding abilities. ✅ Access to internships and an esteemed IRC Level 1 certification upon completion. Unlock the advantages: •Accelerated learning - We specialize in making you fast learners, arming you with the most crucial skills in a short timeframe. •Valuable connections - Network directly with industry professionals, opening doors to future opportunities. •Thrilling Codethons - Challenge yourself and refine your coding prowess in competitive environments. •Internship and Certification - Gain hands-on experience through internships and obtain an IRC Level 1 certificate, validating your skills. Special discounts available exclusively for college students! Don't miss this chance to catapult your software career while you're still in college. Join us and seize the opportunity to excel in the technology industry! Enroll today and accelerate your path towards a successful software career.

Hello all! We have some new apprentices @ Ada, the National College for Digital Skills starting their L4 & L6 journeys. Having our apprentices hear from current practising professionals is so important for us and to inspire and enthuse the next generation of diverse digital talent. I'm seeking two volunteers to speak *remotely* for 25mins on the topic of software engineering, pitched at an audience (group size ~21) who have minimal previous experience. Either Wednesday 17th April - Between 11.30am and 1pm Wednesday 1st May - Between 11.30am and 2.30pm Content could include: Brief overview of what you do, your journey to where you are now. Different pathways in software engineering. Tips for mindset, key values, expectations. What you see as essential skills, key soft skills etc. Top tips, things you wish you'd done/known. Funny anecdotes and stories always welcome! :) 5mins for questions at the end. If you were an apprentice yourself once upon a time, even better (though certainly not compulsory!) If you would be willing to give up your time, please do get in touch. Or please share with your networks. Thanks! :)

Tech leaders have faced increased difficulty in finding, training, and retaining talented individuals with tech skills. One consistent theme that has remained consistent: there is a gap between education and work. Tech and tech-enabled companies have struggled to train new graduates to become productive team members, and existing programs have been unable to meet their specific needs. These companies need efficient, agile programs that can keep up with the constant changes in the industry. That's where we come in. Develop Carolina offers a registered apprenticeship for software engineers. It's a solution for employers who need a solid pipeline of tech talent, and also a solution for skilled individuals ready to enter the field. During our first three cohorts, we've worked with six companies and dozens of apprentices, and the results speak for themselves: - 93% completion rate (our original goal was 80%) - 93% full-time placement rate (apprentices who completed the program and were offered full-time roles) This program is producing talent that is vetted, diverse, and ready to add value to our tech companies. In the first three cohorts of the apprenticeship, women represented an average of 33% of apprentices, and people of color represented an average of 27% - well above industry averages of 22% and 6%, respectively. We do the work to find, vet, and train these talented individuals. If you or your company is interested in participating in our next cohort (kicking off January 8!), please reach out. We'd love to work with you.

If you wanted to calibrate your expectations for beginning a career as a software developer, the official UK apprenticeships make a decent yardstick. An L4 apprenticeship takes roughly 2-3 years, and is equivalent to an HND. An L6 degree apprenticeship takes 3-5 years (depending on the employer's investment in time, training and mentoring). Having worked with a lot of apprentices as a trainer and coach, I'd say that L4 is a good start, but L6 is where devs tend to stop needing closer supervision. That's the point at which they can be largely left (in teams) to get on with the job (with customer interaction, design and architecture, testing, info security, DevOps etc etc. I tend to think of a "software developer" - as opposed to a "programmer" - as being like a building contractor compared to a bricklayer. Someone competent in all the key development disciplines, while perhaps being expert at one or two; "generalising specialists"). I'd say the same about CS grads transitioning into dev careers. Most CS courses don't teach software development in any meaningful, practical way, so you're not much further ahead upon graduation than a self-taught programmer starting an apprenticeship. ("I learned more in the first 6 months on the job than in my entire degree" is a common refrain.) I single out places like University of Sheffield as the exceptions. They offer under- and post-grads 6 months of real commercial experience, which is absolutely necessary to learn how to do this job. Again, a good start. (The need for ongoing training and development never ends, of course.) My feelings on 12-week boot camps are changeable. Some academies do a great job at giving people a *start* in software development, and have proven themselves to be a legitimate route for later-in-life career transitions. But I also see a lack of follow-through from many employers. Just to be clear, when you hire a boot camp grad, or a CS grad for that matter, you're taking on a *trainee*. You hire for aptitude and potential, and then you have to INVEST in them long-term. Certainly here in the UK, we're not very good at that, which is why we see a lot of developers who suffer from arrested development - forever "juniors". I also believe boot camps (and degrees, now I come to think of it) in fields where skills are apparently in such short supply should be funded entirely by employers, the government and the profession (so we get a damned say in what people learn!). It's for this reason I tend to favour the L4 and especially the L6 apprenticeships. Not everybody wants to hear "It take years and £tens of thousands to grow a software developer". My advice is don't fall for the flim-flam. It *does* take years, and it *does* cost tens of thousands (not just in course and training fees, but also the very considerable mentoring time required). But good software developers can be worth £MILLIONS to an economy (and potentially not far off a £million to the tax office over their career).