The pandemic has presented people with the opportunity to pause and reflect on their current situations and consider what they really want out of their working lives. With the ‘Great Resignation’ underway across the country, people are exploring their options and thinking about next steps. Life is too short; now, people want a career that they really enjoy.

To help open up new opportunities for people considering a role in tech The Institute of Coding (IoC) has launched a new campaign entitled, ‘Shift CTRL’, with support from Karmarama, part of Accenture Interactive.

The campaign, which encompasses PR, social media and influencers, aims to empower people to pursue careers in digital and tech. Through the use of IoC-led Skills Bootcamps, which are short courses that allow learners to upskill or reskill for a career in digital in 16 weeks or less, the campaign aims to make tech more accessible to a larger, more diverse group of people.  

The campaign uses cultural voices who are positive forces in the digital world to tell their personal journeys of tech transformation and career evolution through a series of films. The films feature the likes of Timothy Armoo, CEO and founder of Fanbytes and influential British chef, Ed Baines discussing their stories of upskilling, reskilling and career change. Supplementary to this will be videos on social media from influencers such as sports star Nez Dally, presenter Ortis Deley, Run Dem Crew Founder Charlie Dark and entrepreneur Emily Valentine Parr.

The first film in the series features Eshita Kabra-Davies, founder of By Rotation, the world’s first peer-to-peer fashion rental app. In the film Eshita discusses her career change and the way in which she is empowered by tech.

The  ‘Shift CTRL’ project was fueled by research conducted by the IoC which found that the nation is looking to change careers, with upskilling and reskilling providing new career pathways post lockdowns. Almost 70% of people surveyed by the IoC have considered changing careers within the last two years. 

Tech was an area of particular interest for survey respondents, of which 94% believed a job in digital or tech to be a well-paid and stable career, with 69% of those who want to or have started a course are opting for tech-related subjects. 

Therefore in response to this demand, 14 IoC partners have launched 26 Skills Bootcamps nationwide with a total of 40+ intake options for people to consider. These courses are flexible, of up to 16 weeks, and give people the opportunity to build up tech skills and fast-track to an interview with an employer. The courses are free for those who qualify and aim to connect over 1,700 people with employment as part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs.

“It’s clear to see that the events of the last 18 months are having a longer-term impact on the way people view their careers and the importance of digital skills,” explained Sheila Flavell CBE, Chief Operating Officer of FDM Group and Chair of the IoC’s Industry Advisory Board, “It’s encouraging to see so many people wanting to upskill and re skill in tech and that’s why, in addition to existing routes, the IoC is providing accessible future-facing Skills Bootcamps to help people advance their skills and enter or re-enter employment.”

If you’re interested in finding out more about Skills Bootcamps, please click here.