I READ with interest the letter from Richard Webster (April 24) regarding the lack of retraining available to the working age population looking to enter Scotland’s growing digital sector.
While Scotland, like the rest of the UK, is suffering from a digital skills gap with 12,800 jobs available in Scotland every year, there are a number of initiatives in place to help try and address this issue. CodeClan is one of those, Scotland’s first accredited digital skills academy. We are providing an immediate solution to the skills shortage by producing a steady flow of new programming talent via our 16-week, intensive course.
The average age of a CodeClan student is 30 years old with a majority of those joining CodeClan as career changers. If you have aptitude and the right attitude, retraining for a career in digital doesn't depend on previous experience and is not limited by age.
Over the last 18 months we have placed more than 125 graduates into digital roles. Several of those students have accessed funding from the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund. We currently operate out of Edinburgh and Glasgow but are actively working on how we can run CodeClan courses locally across Scotland.
While it is CodeClan’s mission to close the digital skills gap in Scotland, industry has to play its part too. Our employer community consists of more than 120 Scottish companies who seek CodeClan’s help in hiring digital talent and their active participation in our programmes is key to our success.
Harvey Wheaton,
CEO, CodeClan,
37 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh.
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