Here are some key facts we learned from our Skills Audit.
- 49% of companies found developer roles difficult to fill
- 73% of the tech workforce is white British
- Females make up just 19% of the tech workforce
In short, these stats are not good enough.
The Skills Audit also showed that one-third of businesses believe apprenticeship programmes fail to meet expectations due to apprentices not being equipped with the skills, knowledge or work readiness necessary to succeed.
At Manchester Digital, we, with the support of our membership, set out to remedy this situation by creating The Manchester Digital Level 4 Software Developer Apprenticeship – a unique, industry-backed programme supported by some of the biggest and most well-known brands in the region.
Why is it unique?
Firstly, apprenticeships provide an excellent way for businesses to recruit a more diverse range of people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences, beyond the traditional recruitment approaches and talent pools.
Beyond that, all the training is designed and delivered by industry experts who also contributed to the curriculum. This approach results in training that is agile and cutting edge, setting learners up with more industry insight and knowledge than any other tech apprenticeship in the region.
Employers tell us our learning model is less disruptive in the workplace than many other apprenticeship programmes.
Are you looking to diversify your workforce?
If your organisation is looking to improve the diversity of your tech workforce and is interested in developing the region's talent pipeline, speak to emma@manchesterdigital.com to find out how you can get involved.
Testimonial
We caught up with BookingGo’s Lyndsey Henderson to hear her thoughts on the scheme.
Why have you chosen Manchester Digital's industry-led apprenticeship scheme over other providers?
"We, along with Autotrader helped design the apprenticeship scheme around 3 years ago. The fact that the content was shaped by some of our Software Engineers means that we are confident that the skills being taught are best practice and engaging. The feedback from our apprentices and their mentors in the business has been overwhelmingly positive all the way through".
Is it important for BookingGo to have a diverse workforce and, if so, how has Manchester Digital's apprenticeship scheme helped you to achieve these ambitions?
"It’s very important to us to have a diverse workforce, we have 75 nationalities in our offices and one of our company values is ‘we love being different’.
One of the areas where we struggle more to hire a diverse workforce is in technology. The Manchester Digital Level 4 Software Developer Apprenticeship attracts a wide variety of applicants from all ages and backgrounds. Some of the candidates are looking for a big career change later in life and some of the candidates are fresh out of school and not sure that university is right for them. The fact that candidates are not having to pay for the training means that there is a range of socio-economic backgrounds too. The only barrier to entry is the willingness of the candidates to learn new skills."
What next?
To find out more about the programme get in touch by emailing emma@manchesterdigital.com or use this webform to register your interest.
