Who is this course for

This course is open to all applicants provided they are aged 19. The course will be best suited for unemployed adults looking to improve skill levels and career prospects through retraining and adults in employment needing additional skills to secure a promotion, additional responsibility, looking for a career change or access to employment in non-traditional sectors.

You do not need any prior qualifications but will need to meet eligibility criteria and entry requirements as highlighted below.

This 10-week technical training will feature blended learning: eight guided learning hours, Monday-Thursday 6pm to 8pm (online). The two-hour live sessions will include academic content delivery and guided practical activities. Real-time content delivery will typically be recorded and made available for later review, and flexible support will be available outside of formally timetabled sessions and provided by Coventry University Student Proctors. The final two weeks (week 11 and 12) of the course will be dedicated to employability tuition and interviews.

The online tuition will be scheduled, but you can fit the other hours each day around other commitments.

How to apply – https://www.coventry.ac.uk/business/partner-with-us/institute-of-coding/skills-for-life-bootcamp/ or direct link to the application form here https://gradcore.formstack.com/forms/coventry_bootcamps_june23_cc

Eligibility

Eligibility criteria:

To be eligible to join this course applicants must meet all the following criteria:

• must be aged 19 or older
• have the right to work in the UK. This can be checked on uk/prove-right-to-work
• meet residency requirements – applicants should be UK nationals or other person with a right to live and work in the UK without any immigration restrictions who have been ordinarily resident in the UK, or the British Overseas Territories, or the Crown Dependencies (Channel Islands and Isle of Man) for at least the previous 3 years on the first day of learning.

Note: If you are unsure if you meet residency criteria, please refer to the information provided on the AEB Funding Rules page.

• Agree to provide mandatory personal data and supplementary information on their employment outcomes for up to 8 months following completion of the Skills Bootcamp.

Be either

• unemployed within the last 12 months, or
• career changers/returners/redeployed, or
• self-employed/employed

Entry requirements:

• Applicants should be available to attend the complete course, from 3^rd July 2023 to 22 September 2023
• Applicants will need to have regular access to a desktop or laptop computer with an internet connection. Key details:
  • This can be either a laptop or a desktop. It doesn’t matter which one, but it should have enough RAM and memory to support your studies. In addition, your computer will need a working microphone, speakers and web camera. Some parts of the bootcamp will make use of Virtual Machines, for which you will need to download and install the free VMWare Player (for Windows) or VMWare Fusion (for Mac OS). If you don’t have access to a computer, please apply anyway and let us know of the problem, so we can see what we can do to help.
  • The right operating system. As a PC user, you need to make sure that you have the correct operating system, such as Windows 10 or 11 or OS X. Newer versions tend to work faster.
  • Useful software. You will need a good office suite, such as Microsoft Office. A good web browser, like Google Chrome, is also important. It can also be helpful to have an antivirus installed.
  • Reliable internet access. For an online course, a decent internet connection is essential so you can keep up with your work. A high- speed Wi-Fi connection can be obtained either at home (preferred for the best study setting) or via an outside source, such as the library, a quiet restaurant, etc.
  • Computer or software specifications:
    • 250 GB hard drive or higher
    • 8 GB RAM or higher
    • 2.0 GHz Intel or AMD processor
    • Windows 10 or MAC OS 10.10 or later
    • Google Chrome 96, Firefox 48, Safari 11 or later
    • Anti-virus program
    • Before you begin, it’s important to make sure that your computer is in tip-top working order and is properly equipped. You need to be prepared for any situation that could arise; for example, most classes have pre-recorded video lectures or live video chats, and if your speakers or headphones don’t work, you will struggle to participate.
• Unemployed applicants should be committed to securing a job interview and or attending an interview arranged by the Gradcore team by the 13^th of October 2023, and continue to engage with employability activities in order to move into/return to a role that utilises the skills acquired in this Skills Bootcamp within 6 months of completion of the course.
• Self-employed applicants should be committed to submitting a plan in writing confirming how they will utilise skills gained during this course to gain new contracts a job interview to access new opportunities/contracts by the 13^th of October 2023 and securing new opportunity/contract that utilises the skills acquired in this Skills Bootcamp within 6 months of completion of the course.

Note: Are you aware that you can only participate in one Skills Bootcamp during the fiscal year running from April 2023 to March 2024? While you can apply for more than one Bootcamp, should you be offered multiple places, you may accept only one.

Creating pathways to employment

How has the Skills Bootcamp been designed/created with employer input?

Our strategy is to be led by employer needs and demands. In the past, IoC successfully produced several Digital Skills Gaps Reports for 5 sectors (Creative Technologies, automotive, fintech, advanced manufacturing and healthcare). All reports can be accessed here. Course tutors referred to these reports while putting together a plan for this Bootcamp as it is a great summary of the sectors including recent changes, and trends that might exist, with a particular emphasis on technological variables key to the evolution of the sector and skills gaps.

What are the routes to employment following successful completion?

The Cloud has increasing impact in all our lives: when we use apps and websites, we are using data and software held in the cloud, a complex network of computers and computing technologies. This Cloud Computing Skills Bootcamp will teach learners what the Cloud is, why it is important, how it is used and how we all experience it in our everyday lives. You will also be exposed to the key computer science techniques and skills underlying the Cloud: learners will be made familiar with its technical aspects of the Cloud in readiness for entry-level positions, including IT support, database administration and software development .

The course will be a mix of theory and practice. It will introduce fundamentals: programming (using the Python language), databases and data analytics, networking, and the various services the Cloud provides. Learners will be able to carry out practical work in these areas, and will develop understanding of their deployment and importance for the Cloud. At the end of the bootcamp, you’ll be able to seek work in the area, or to plan further study.