Training to help you get into the technology sector

Award-winning experts offer training to get into technology sector

With so much demand for digital skills, now is the ideal time to upskill and reskill.

The demand is outstripping supply for people to work in this sector. According to a report by Tech Nation (read more here UK tech job opportunities hit a 10-year high, says new report - Tech Nation) there are currently around 870,000 job vacancies in the UK technology sector. And in the York and North Yorkshire region alone there are over 1,000 job vacancies that require digital skills.

Since Covid, technology is advancing daily, the demand for digitally skilled people has increased by over 1000% since 2020. This creates opportunities for people to widen their skill set and explore careers within the tech sector.

Tech job benefits

CEO and founder of Purple Beard, Dimple Khagram: understands struggle both women and people of colour face in tech industry

Working in the tech has a number of advantages, such as good salaries, sustainable employment and the opportunity of working remotely to name a few.

Cyber Security Analysts for example, can expect to earn up to £28,000 and Business Analysts and Full-Stack Developers can earn up to £30,000.

Another benefit of working in tech is the opportunity of working remotely. Tech jobs offer people the chance of working flexible hours from the comfort of their home, as technology companies focus more on the completion of a task rather than the standard 9-5 job hours.

What if I don’t have the skills?

Free training could be just what you need to update your digital skills

Even with the obvious advantages of a tech sector job, there are those who feel they may not be proficient enough with their digital skills, or lack a university degree to land a job in this line of work.

But in this sector a degree is not necessary. Tech Training providers, such as Purple Beard and others like Udemy, provide opportunities in Training, Learning and Developing Tech skills; all someone needs is a willingness to learn and a passion for learning.

What is Purple Beard?

Purple Beard is a training tech provider within the U.K. which offers online tutor-led courses in digital skills, with the aim of providing accessible and affordable education in tech. The company says it focuses on bridging not only the digital skills gap but also the diversity gap within the tech industry.

The CEO and founder of Purple Beard, Dimple Khagram, understands the struggle both women and people of colour face in this industry, and created this company with an objective to increase the diversity and inclusion of minorities within Tech.

Since the company’s start back in 2019, they have reskilled and upskilled over 400 people, with 41% being women, 11% having a disability and 66% being from BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) communities.

They continue to help by participating in various DEIB (Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging) projects such as “Women in Tech” and “Fighting Ageism”. Within these projects, they have spoken to inspiring people in tech that support these causes or have struggled because of the age and gender bias within the industry. Purple Beard were nominated for “Best Employer for training” at the Women in Tech awards in 2022.

Purple Beard’s firm belief that technology is for everyone who has an interest in it has created several learning opportunities for those who are disadvantaged, unemployed or looking for a change in career.

Free skills bootcamps

Purple Beard offer a variety of free Skills Bootcamp courses that are fully funded by the Department of Education (subject to their eligibility criteria, such as having been a resident of the UK for more than three years) The courses offered in York and North Yorkshire are Business Analysis, Cyber Security and Full-Stack Development.

The virtual courses are tutor-led and run up to 16 weeks. These courses are also integrated with employability sessions, giving the learners the necessary skills that make finding a job easier. Upon completion of the course, the learners receive a certificate of completion, post-course employability assistance and are provided with follow-up support from Purple Beard for up to six months. Read more about Purple Beard here and if you want to be a part of the ever-changing world of technology and skills landscape, click here to sign up for Purple Beard’s Skills Bootcamps.