Tech Industries & How to Retrain for Free.
Growing tech industries in the North East need you and here’s how to retrain for free. Skills Bootcamps are part of a government programme to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track people to an interview.
The Newcastle Chronicle are reporting that as the digital arena grows ever larger with more of our lives driven by technology, from the services we stream to where we work and how we shop there is an entire infrastructure that we may never consider.
But infrastructures of this complexity need skilled hands and minds to ensure they work at the optimum, whether that’s the conversion of keystrokes to words on screen – think about that for a minute, impressive isn’t – or the touch on the screen on a phone to purchase tickets to a concert.
These functions, which we take for granted begin life as a line of commands written by a software engineer or an analyst and currently there are real opportunities to gain qualifications and move your career into the tech sector.
In the coming years, the North East is going to see a boom in green technologies, with Nissan confirming plans to build an electric vehicle at its Sunderland plant, two gigafactories have been announced for the region and the granting of freeport status to the Tees Valley can only boost the tech opportunities for those with the skills.
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Following the success of pilot programmes in the north-west Firebrand Training has just revealed dates for the latest government-funded programmes that aim to open the door to careers in the digital workplace for people across the employment spectrum.
Called Skills Bootcamps these programmes, funded by the Department for Education, are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer.
They are being developed by the Government as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs, in partnership with providers such as Firebrand, to help people develop the skills that are in demand in their local area and get a better job.
So far, these programmes, which cover a range of disciplines from data, security and infrastructure to software, have been a revelation for former cohorts.
Niall O’Brien passed a BCS Data Analysis Concepts (DAC) and went on to take extra training to further strengthen his CV, “I thought it may have been a scam to start with, yet I was so pleased with the learning outcomes that I’m happy to share my experiences with others.”
Agenda and topics covered
The following Skills Bootcamps are available to get your team certified:
> IT Technician
> Microsoft IT Engineer
> Cyber Security Technologist
> Junior Software Developer
> Microsoft Software Developer
> Data Technician
> Microsoft Azure Data Analyst
> Microsoft Azure Data Engineer
> SAS Data Analyst
> Cyber Intrusion Analyst
What are the minimum requirements?
Well, there aren’t any beyond that you must be at least 19-years-of-age. Firebrand is holding a series of introductory seminars covering data, software, infrastructure and security. Here you can discover more about each course and whether you could be the missing piece in a company’s cybersecurity division or helpdesk operation.
Firebrand owner, Stefano Capaldo, said: “The courses open with a webinar which explains career options and what’s expected of participants. It sets the scene and if you think it’s for you, sign up. There are certain eligibility criteria to meet and these will be assessed once you sign-up.”
Once the applications are complete there’ll be a digital awareness test to ensure entrants have a basic understanding of IT.
So, what are the outcomes and how can I apply?
Beyond certification, once you have completed a course, you will be guaranteed an interview with a participating employer.
Firebrand will also continue to support you with a job matching service in which they talk to local companies and those further afield about employment opportunities for students.
Stefano said: “Applying your capabilities and not being afraid, these courses will help you discover there are no black arts to this. It’s just a bunch of tools you’ll learn how to use. Just as people are comfortable driving cars they’ll become comfortable using these tools. There’s hidden talent out there, whether a bank clerk, cashier or barista, it’s just a matter of finding them”.
More importantly, it’s about you looking at your potential and whether there’s a better pathway than the one you’re currently on.
If you’re interested in finding out more log on to Firebrand Training.