University of Birmingham launches scholarships for tech jobs

The University of Birmingham is to offer hundreds of scholarships to under-represented groups in the Midlands to help them improve their skills and secure jobs in the technology sector.

Delivered through £2.4m funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority, there will be 600 scholarships (200 per year over three years) of £4,000 each available as ‘Women in Tech’ or ‘Diversity in Tech’ awards.

Successful applicants will attend boot camps in either coding or data analytics.

The 24-week part time programmes aim to help adult learners and working professionals in under-represented groups into digital careers, and students will have the option of studying remotely online or in person at the university’s new city centre facility The Exchange.

Eight boot camps will take place each year over the next three years, in partnership with 2U, Inc. brand Trilogy Education.

The University of Birmingham and Trilogy Education have delivered boot camps to over 180 people since 2019.

Professor Nicola Wilkin, of the University of Birmingham, said: “Birmingham is quickly becoming a major technology hub attracting businesses from across the country.

“As a leading higher education institution in the region, we want to ensure those in under-represented groups have a pathway into the lucrative and fulfilling careers made possible by the growing technology sector.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for personal professional development. The flexible part-time format of the Boot Camps makes it possible for people to diversify and develop the skills needed for alternate technical careers and reflects our commitment to increasing accessibility and diversity in the technology sector.”

Professor Tim Jones, Provost and Vice-Principal at the University of Birmingham said: “We’re already seeing students who have graduated from our Boot Camps progressing in their careers and contributing to the regional economy. With this new funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority, we can continue to develop highly-employable professionals with much sought-after digital skills.”

Welcoming the announcement, the Mayor of the West Midlands and Chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority, Andy Street, said: “Retraining and upskilling have such critical roles to play in our region’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, and are a cornerstone of my jobs plan to help 100,000 people into work in the next two years.

“We know that training in the skills of the future that employers want and need is a crucial way to help people bounce back into employment quickly, and technology is an area of huge employment possibilities that we must help people get the right skills in.

“The sector offers new, exciting, and future-proof jobs, and digital bootcamps are a great way of helping local people get involved.

“Our bootcamps have been a great success and provided a clear pathway for people to move into work, and so I am delighted that we can now continue our great work and get more residents the skills they need to move into the high-quality, well-paid jobs of the future.”