Get that dream job in web or app design with free Skills Bootcamp

A free ‘Skills Bootcamp’ has been designed to help local adults bag their dream job in web or app design.

Bath Spa University is working in partnership with the Department for Education to provide its fully-funded 12-week Skills Bootcamp in Creative Computing.

The online course provides you with the necessary skills to gain employment in tech industries and creative practices and covers the likes of UI/UX design, app and web development, product management, project management, and presenting and pitching.

It offers maximum flexibility so you can fit upskilling into your life and no prior knowledge is required.

Creative Computing Lecturer Jane Foulkes explained: “The course is for total beginners. You don’t even need to know what website coding means. It’s a real start-from-scratch opportunity.

“The biggest single thing we look for is a passion, an interest, a desire, and aspirations for a career in the creative industries using digital technology.”

Fast-growing sector

The digital and tech industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the UK with some of the highest salaries, so now is the perfect time to improve your digital confidence.

The course boasts highly experienced lecturers, guest speakers, group exercises and a blended delivery model to provide maximum flexibility for combining learning with other recognised commitments.

Jane said: “You’ll learn how to use digital technology to aid the development of applications and the design process involved for working in a variety of industries, like web design.

“You’ll also produce a really useful portfolio of prototypes to show to employers as an example of your practical skills in creative computing.

“A lot of modern, forward-thinking employers are looking beyond the core skills and responsibilities, so this Skills Bootcamp is designed to help you hit the ground running in potential employment.”

Real-world projects and scenarios

Bath Spa works closely with its partners to make sure the skills it’s giving people are anchored in what employers really need and the kind of challenges they face.

To this end, the Skills Bootcamp is very hands-on with real-world projects and scenarios that students get to work on in much the same way they would in an employment situation.

Jane said: “No week is the same and no day is the same. Participants gain valuable experience in the concepts and methodologies around identity, storytelling, images, and graphics.

“We also show them a lot of software, like Adobe XD, Figma, and Agile Project Management, and help decode some of the terminology they see in job adverts.

“They always say they feel a lot more able to apply for these kinds of roles within the creative industries because they’re confident of understanding the subject and its lingo.”

Personal and professional skills

All technical content is complemented with personal and professional skills provision, plus employment support including techniques for job applications, mock interviews and employer networking events.

Jane said: “In terms of employment opportunities, our learners tend to begin with an idea about which job they would like but by the time they get to the middle of the course, they start raising their aspirations.

“We really give them a broad overview of the different parts of the industry so they can then go and hone their skills and focus much more on the areas they enjoy.

“In fact, our participants tend to start applying for roles mid-course. The key areas are project managers, product managers and UI/UX designers, but they’re also going into apprenticeships or freelance, so it’s opening doors for other areas too.”

Raft of industry expertise

At the end of the course, the learners present their final group project as a 15-minute sales pitch in much the same way they would in a company board room.

Jane said: “It’s really tough but a great skill to learn. We have all sorts of people from industry coming to the presentations – from quite senior business executives who are very used to seeing these kinds of pitches to UI/UX designers. It’s a real raft of expertise.

“Our students really thrive on the fact it’s a real-life presentation and not just pitching to teaching staff and it gives a different kind of pressure.

“It definitely puts them out of their comfort zone but it teaches those skills that they will need in employment to verbalise their ideas.”

Skills, understanding and confidence

After just 12 short weeks of online teaching, the participants have all the necessary skills, understanding and confidence to bag a job with a local employer.

Jane smiled: “It’s fascinating to watch our learners undergo this transformation. We see this real change in how people are thinking and how they’re articulating themselves.

“Confidence is key. Everything we do, from one-to-ones to the project sessions and individual activities, is about building that belief in their ability. It’s really crucial.

“The course shows you can consolidate your broader work and life experience and bring those together with new digital skills, and feel good about what you have to offer and hold your head high when you apply for jobs.”

Find out more?

Applications are now open for the next Skills Bootcamp in Creative Computing. It runs from Monday, April 25, for 12 weeks, Monday-Wednesday, 9am-1pm, and Thursday, 9am-4pm. Demand is high so complete your application now. Please note some eligibility criteria do apply.

For further information see the Skills Bootcamp in Creative Computing webpage or email external@bathspa.ac.uk