How our Technology Academy is working to bridge the digital skills gap
Launched in early 2021, Bright Network Technology Academy has already trained six cohorts of members from diverse backgrounds to become full-stack software engineers. Over a hundred of our academy graduates are now working in role as consultants with our employer partners. In this article, Bright Network Technology Academy Commercial Director Tara McKay tells us all how it all began…
At the start of the pandemic in 2020, I was contacted by the Founder and CEO of Bright Network, James Uffindell who asked me if I’d be interested in launching and leading the sales charge on “a new initiative to help under-represented talent get jobs in technology”. Despite the economic uncertainty of the time, I naturally jumped at the chance. It doesn’t get much more compelling than that! So off we went on a wing and a prayer.
The launch of our academy
A small team of us launched the Bright Network Technology Academy in early 2021, seeking to address a two-fold problem: firstly, our clients were constantly telling us that finding diverse technical talent was a business-critical priority, and secondly, our members were telling us that despite being tech-curious, they felt they lacked the skills needed to break into a career in the sector. This was particularly true of our female and black heritage members.
We realised that at Bright Network, we were in a unique position to help. So, with the advice and input of leading industry experts, we developed our very own 12-week software engineering boot camp – a full training and development programme, designed not only to teach learners how to code, but also to equip them with skills, support and most importantly, job opportunities to kick start their careers in technology.
Since launching, the last 18 months have been a whirlwind. We have trained and placed over 115 talented software engineers into our partner firms: M&S, Lloyds Banking Group, Atos, CFC Insurance, Barclays Rise and more. Each of our partners has a progressive approach to recruitment and shares our passion for increasing representation in the tech sector, and working with them to help achieve both their digital transformation goals and diversity aspirations has been a real pleasure. It’s also been incredible to watch our brilliant and hardworking members on their journeys from Bright Network member – to Technology Academy Learner – to Tech Change Maker/Future Leader.
What's next for the academy
Bright Network Technology Academy has so many exciting plans for the next year: we’ll be diversifying our learning pathways to create new routes into technology for people who are curious about careers in data or cyber security; we’ll be working closely with our partners to continue to improve and develop the support we provide to our members – ensuring that they are learning the most cutting edge technologies and a blend of practices; we’re launching our first ever diversity focused hackathon: HackforChange, and finally, in order to do all of this, we’re expanding our team!
Our team is growing fast, with new opportunities opening up all the time. We’re continually recruiting into operations, training, sales, client services and sales operations. If you’re an entrepreneurial spirit who is passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive workforce, we’d love to hear from you!
Are you interested in helping our Tech Academy continue to bridge the digital skills gap? Check below for our current vacancies and get in touch!