At TechSPARK, September is officially Talent Month. In partnership with our friends at Huboo Technologies, the award-winning order fulfilment service for eCommerce sellers, we’ll be bringing you features and events on all things tech talent in the South West.
Thanks to HdE Talent for this guest blog.
In recent years, Bristol and the South West has truly positioned itself as one of Europe’s leading tech hubs with a truly eclectic mix of mega growth scaleups, small yet hungry startups, and those businesses in between. Last year alone, Bristol tech companies raised £305million from investors, the third-most investment of all UK cities – with only Manchester and London ahead.
And so, it has never been a more exciting time to embark on a career in tech. To outsiders, the tech world may seem a little bit mystifying, with its fast-paced environments and jargon talk. Many people shy away, believing that without a computer science degree or connections, getting a job in tech is completely out of reach.
However, there are lots of opportunities for those looking to break into tech. While there are plenty of job openings in technology, there is also a large-scale skills gap, causing quite the competition in the bid for talent. Tech is absolutely everywhere; from the way we shop to the way you’re reading this article right now. Companies everywhere are on the hunt for talent with the skills to build and manage their digital assets and tactics.
The brilliant thing is there are tons of certified courses online that require little to no previous experience or tech qualifications. We’ve done our research and put together our top three, as well as introducing a little about the UK government’s Kickstart Scheme for those under the age of 25 looking to step onboard the tech train…
For the protectors: CEH Certified Ethical Hacking Course
With cybercriminals only getting more and more sophisticated in their ways, the importance of online security has become greater than ever. The Ethical Hacking course covers a range of attack technologies that have been found to be commonly used by hackers, teaching you exactly how to act in fighting back against these attacks.
Learning from the methods, techniques, and tools of hackers themselves, in the course you’ll learn how to protect businesses from malicious threats.
World-class training is guaranteed, with hundreds of experts working together to put together the course. Over 80,000 individuals have now been trained in this course, and over 30,000 security professions have certified it including Microsoft, IBM, and even the FBI.
With a global shortage of cybersecurity professionals, this is an excellent course to get involved with if you really want to make a difference in a market that’s desperate for helping hands. Better yet, no previous experience or qualifications are necessary and the course takes as little as 40 hours to complete. Click here to find out more.
For the builders: Full Stack Bootcamp Diploma
Web development is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. The pandemic has led more businesses to realise the need to digitise in order to survive, and so now really is the best time to join millions of people around the world in building web products.
From front-end to back-end, HTML to CSS, JavaScript to its helpful frameworks – this course is packed with information to take you from square one to complete Web mastery.
The accredited programme will provide you with everything you need to embark on your career as a Full Stack Web developer, from basic skills to back-end technologies.
No previous experience is required either – everything you need to progress into a highly sought-after career is packaged in this one-year course. Click here to find out more.
For the fixers: CompTIA A+ Technician Course
Unfortunately, more often than not, the good old “switching the computer off and on again” trick just doesn’t cut it. For times like this, someone who actually has a skilled hand at fixing computers is very much needed. Enter: the IT technician aka the superhero of the office…
If you’re looking to break into the world of IT, then the CompTIA A+ Technician Course is the one for you. Master skills and widen your knowledge around modules delving into hardware, operating systems, software troubleshooting, security, and more.
After getting certification from the course, you will be adept with all the skills needed to support today’s core technologies; from security to cloud. All that is required is a keen interest in IT, with the course taking around 40 hours at your own pace. Click here to find out more.
Kickstart your career in tech
As well as upskilling by completing the aforementioned courses to get into the exciting world of tech, if you’re between the age of 16 to 24, you could make use of the government’s Kickstart Scheme.
The scheme, which launched in 2020, was introduced to boost employment prospects for young people who have been particularly hard hit by the Coronavirus pandemic. The government-funded scheme partners with businesses from across all kinds of industries, giving young people a chance to find high-quality job placements with a view to boosting their career prospects.
This is great news for those under the age of 25 looking to kickstart their careers in tech. A survey by the job search engine, Adzuna, reported that 63 percent of leading tech companies plan to use the government scheme. Moreover, data from the Department of Work and Pensions has shown that almost 150,000 Kickstart roles have already been approved including those at established tech firms such as TalkTalk.
The burgeoning tech sector is bursting at the seams with opportunities for young people. According to Adzuna, one in six openings in the digital tech industry are suitable for entry-level jobseekers. This, partnered with the Kickstart Scheme and other apprenticeships and courses, completely boosts the long-term job prospects for a generation capable of doing great things in the industry.
