Click Start 18 months on
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Free digital course helps decrease skills gaps with cutting-edge training
Monday, 4 November, 2024Over the past 18 months, Click Start by Bath Spa University in Creative Digital Skills has helped 275 learners aged 18 – 30 in the West of England gain the skills needed to pursue a career in a creative or technology-based field. Learners have been given an amazing opportunity to upskill and move into an exciting long-term career.
Over eight weeks, learners are taught next level skills in digital marketing, UI/UX design and web development. Through a combination of group work and live briefs set by industry experts, learners also develop their problem-solving skills, creativity, adaptability and resilience, all skills that employers value.
Bath Spa University’s course is part of the nationwide Click Start training programme developed by the Institute of Coding (IoC), a national consortium of industry, educators and outreach providers. Click Start is funded by Nominet, the public benefit company that operates and protects UK Internet infrastructure and uses its funds to support projects that promote digital inclusion.
Bath Spa University has partnered with Catch22, a not-for-profit business that delivers high quality tailored employability programmes, and techSPARK, a not-for-profit community dedicated to connecting, educating and strengthening tech ecosystems, to provide each Click Start learner with a personal employability coach that supports them for six months after they finish their course.
Ben Bailey, a Click Start graduate, commented:
“I was looking for a new career direction, and when I heard about Click Start, it was exactly what I was looking for. The course was fantastic, and I received extra help from the tutors when needed, as well as help with my CV and what jobs to apply for from my employability coach. Now that I’ve finished my course, I’m really excited about starting my new tech journey.”
Now running its 17th cohort, Click Start has helped over half of its learners successfully transition to a new career, including roles such as Senior UX/UI Designer, Event Marketing and Communications Manager, Neurophysiology Technician, and apprenticeships in content creation and software development.
Katelemi Claude took part in Click Start earlier this year. Reflecting on her experience, she said:
“The best thing about Click Start was the hands-on approach to learning. Throughout the course, we were given the opportunity to work on real-world projects and apply the concepts we learned in a practical setting. This experiential learning style allowed me to not only understand the theory behind various digital marketing strategies but also put them into practice and see the results firsthand.
Furthermore, the Click Start course had a strong focus on collaboration and teamwork. Working with my peers on group projects not only helped me improve my communication and interpersonal skills but also allowed me to learn from different perspectives and approaches.
Overall, the combination of hands-on learning, expert instruction, and collaborative environment made the Click Start course a truly valuable and enriching experience for me.”
To celebrate the successes of the last 18 months, Click Start is holding a celebration event at 6pm on 14 November at The Station in Bristol, bringing together graduates of the course, partners, and businesses looking to recruit the next generation of tech enthusiasts.
The evening will feature a dynamic lineup of guest speakers covering various topics, from recruitment strategies, apprenticeships and entrepreneurship to career inspirations and aspirations.
The event provides an opportunity for graduates to network and connect with employability experts, and directly gives them a platform to showcase their new digital skills.
Looking back on the success of the programme, Jason John, Short Course Unit Programme Manager at Bath Spa University, said:
“Click Start has been unique in plugging an obvious gap in learning opportunities for young people and producing new talent for the Digitech sector here in the South West. We've built a superb partnership which has provided a hugely fun and engaging environment for our learners but also produced superb outcomes for such a short programme. It's been an amazing journey for everyone involved!”
Find out more about the celebration event by visiting Click Start’s website.
Photo provided by Jason Goodall.