The UK Department for Education is offering more than 1,400 potential learners the chance to enrol in a government-funded online coding bootcamp, through its partnership with HyperionDev.
Offering coding bootcamps in data science, software engineering and full-stack web development which can be completed within 16 weeks, the partnership gives learners the opportunity to receive non-degree certificate from HyperionDev.
Targeted at individuals – including international students – who are looking to give their careers a boost, explore other career paths or to keep up-to-date with the latest job market requirements, the courses are designed to help learners become fully-fledged developers, whether they are from a tech background or not.
Riaz Moola, founder and CEO of HyperionDev said, “According to the UK government 2021 report ‘Quantifying the UK Data Skills Gap’, 48% of UK businesses were recruiting for roles requiring data skills. Of those, around 46% are struggling to find suitable candidates, meaning that there is a huge skills gap in this area.
“In the current economic crisis, the ability to code could significantly improve present and future employees’ salary expectations. I strongly believe that accessible tech education is the future of upward social mobility for tens of thousands of people across the globe,” added Moola.
“I strongly believe that accessible tech education is the future of upward social mobility”
According to Tech Nation’s ‘People and Skills’ 2022 report, tech salaries in the UK are on average nearly 80% higher than non-tech salaries.
HyperionDev also announced new partnerships with the University of Manchester and the University of Nottingham Online to issue limited certifications to students, having already delivered bootcamps for the University of Edinburgh. As of November 2022, nearly 3,000 students have already completed a trial bootcamp with many of the candidates on track to complete one of the three courses.
According to a statement by HyperionDev, more partnerships with other Russell Group universities are to be announced.
Danielle George, associate vice president of blended and flexible learning at the University of Manchester said the new partnership with HyperionDev “will make a significant contribution in addressing the national digital skills gap,”
“Learning to code through bootcamps aligns with our Flexible Learning Strategy and our commitment to prepare young people for an increasingly digital, interconnected and intercultural world” added George.
Sarah O’Hara, CEO of University of Nottingham Online, said the institution is “delighted” by the partnership.
O’Hara added that coding skills are “in high demand across the UK and this unique opportunity allows anyone, regardless of their background, to gain these skills and boost their career aspirations”.
Moola told The PIE that he believes all universities should look to engage in such activities and highlighted that the bootcamps are not predominantly aimed at school leavers but at early-to-mid level experienced career professionals looking to pivot into coding and working in technology or seeking to accelerate their career.
According to Moola, such university partnerships have given the provider an “added element of trust”.
“Universities are known for research contributions but also their ability to structure learning around outcomes. In our case, with the added credibility of the university assurances, students are more confident that they will be career-ready following the bootcamp,” he added.
Such partnerships enable prestigious institutions that can be “slow to reposition themselves in areas like tech”, to have a greater impact on more students.
“Because of how governments enable much of what these institutions are doing, it is an efficient way for us to reach our mission of closing the tech skills gap in a credible and sustainable way.”
