Did you know that there are over 850,000 digital job vacancies in the UK? And that 82% of jobs now need digital skills?
Digital skills are required for jobs across the whole labour market – from manufacturing roles or setting up your own business, to advanced technology positions. The technology industry can play a part in equipping students and school leavers with the digital skills needed for work in an accessible way.
That’s what our partner, the Institute of Coding (IoC), is trying to tackle. In 2023, we committed £12m in funding for Click Start, a three-year programme that aims to break down the barriers that people face when entering the workforce or looking for a career change.
This nationwide training programme will give over 26,500 people the digital skills they need to get better pay and job opportunities. Many of the Click Start programmes offer additional support, such as career advice and mentoring – and are completely free for eligible learners.
And where better to find potential students that need digital skills for their dream career? Who have always dreamed of developing games, working in film and TV, animation, or music production? London Comic Con!
The Institute of Coding was on hand at the event to talk attendees through its courses and to give them a flavour of coding with the opportunity to code their own comic. We went along to have a go ourselves, meet potential students, and to hear from the Institute of Coding about how the Click Start programme can help people get into new opportunities and help with social mobility.
If you want to find out more about the Click Start programme, see if you are eligible, and find out about what courses are available, visit the Institute of Coding’s website.