Delivered between 2023 and January 2026, the programme has now closed — leaving behind a powerful legacy of skills, confidence and opportunity for almost 40,000 learners across the UK.

Funded by Nominet and delivered by the Institute of Coding, Click Start brought together universities, employers and youth organisations to remove barriers, unlock potential and create real routes into work for young people from under‑represented backgrounds.

Over three years, Click Start showed what’s possible when education, industry and social impact work together at scale.

Click Start responded directly to this challenge by:

• Opening digital pathways to groups under‑represented in tech
• Supporting young people facing inequality, caring responsibilities, disability or long‑term unemployment
• Strengthening a fragile digital talent pipeline critical to economic growth
• Combining technical learning with employability, wellbeing and confidence‑building support

Click Start proved that talent is everywhere — opportunity is not. And that with the right support, young people can thrive in fast‑changing digital careers.

Broad Support
National, online programmes delivered by the University of Leeds and The Open University supported over 35,000 learners, helping them build digital and employability skills in flexible, accessible ways.

Deep Support
Seven regional university–charity partnerships delivered intensive technical training, alongside up to six months of one‑to‑one coaching, pastoral care and peer support for 1,500 learners facing the biggest barriers.

Courses spanned:

• IT fundamentals
• Web development
• Cybersecurity
• Data science and AI

All curricula were shaped with employer input, ensuring learners gained skills that matter in the real world.

• £12 million invested in digital opportunity
• Nearly 40,000 young people supported
• 10,000+ course completions
• Almost 1,000 learners progressing into employment, further education or workplace opportunities
• Delivery across England, Wales and Scotland
• 9 university–charity partnerships
• 11 employers engaged through GetMyFirstDigitalJob

A nationwide campaign reached millions, generating 68+ million impressions and winning three industry awards — helping Click Start reach the right learners, at the right time.

Nominet brought more than 25 years of digital infrastructure expertise and a long‑standing commitment to social impact for young people.

The Institute of Coding led programme design and delivery, drawing on a powerful national network of universities, employers and educators — and a proven record of supporting over one million learners into digital skills.

Together, partners created something bigger than any one organisation could have achieved alone.

The programme leaves behind:

• Thousands of learners with new skills, confidence and direction
• Strong evidence for what works in widening access to digital careers
• A scalable, partnership‑driven model for future programmes

The Institute of Coding will continue to apply these lessons across its work with universities, employers and policymakers — ensuring that the momentum created by Click Start lives on.