Working in conjunction with the West Midlands Combined Authority, the University of Birmingham developed the Employer Advisory Board.
The board is an addition to the scholarship programme which ensures students get personalised mentoring and career guidance to support them with their journey to full-time employment in the local area.
The Board is made up of industry experts, local business owners and university representatives who will guide and advise students on how to get a job after their digital bootcamp studies.
They will also provide employment opportunities within their businesses or other external organisations. Organisations involved include design agency Squibble, translation and interpreting agency Word 360, technology company Cognizant as well as other key University of Birmingham representatives.
Kimberley Leary, Managing Director of design agency Squibble and Chair for Birmingham in Tech, is a member of the board and an advocate of women in business. She said: “Hiring is extremely competitive at the moment and so bootcamps like this help to feed the pipeline of candidates.
“Learning to code is only one part of the programme, though. The success of the University of Birmingham bootcamps is also measured by employment rates post graduation. So I help to give a local perspective of what the labour market looks like for both web developers and employers.”
The digital bootcamps are designed to prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to tap into today’s technological economy. Past alumni have since landed jobs with local brands such as Gymshark, BT and Purplebricks.
Daniel Williams, Director of Social Impact, said: “Having an employer-focused advisory board to steer our Women in Tech and Diversity in Tech scholarship programmes has been critical for us. All of our focus is on improving support for people who typically don’t end up in this industry, whether that’s through mentorship or through face-time with employers in the sector.”