BJSS a technology and engineering consultancy for business, and Northcoders, one of the UK’s leading independent providers of training programmes for software coding, have teamed up to offer 10 Birmingham-based SMEs and startups the chance to enrol one of their employees onto a course that will improve their digital skills and lead to a Level 4 qualification in Software Development - at no cost to the firm or the individual.

Applicants will take Northcoders’ respected ReSkill programme, which is aimed at those with little or no prior coding experience and will turn anyone with the right aptitude into a fully trained, project-ready developer. It is ideal for employees who want to stay with their current employer but change their career direction into coding and for businesses that want to either retain talented people whose roles are no longer needed or increase in-house tech resource.

BJSS will fund the placements using its apprenticeship levy-transfer. The government allows companies to transfer unused apprenticeship funds to other employers to pay for the training and assessment cost of apprenticeships agreed with the receiving employer.

ReSkill programmes include the Northcoders award-winning training, including Core Fundamentals of Engineering in JavaScript, Backend Engineering in JavaScript, Frontend Engineering in JavaScript and the always exciting Project Block phase, which sees student teams build their own applications. Alongside this, ReSkill programmes include masterclasses in DevOps & Cloud and AWS Certification, as well as Human Skills workshops - all tied together with an end point assessment to gain a Level 4 qualification in Software Development.

Frazer Robinson, Head of Talent at BJSS – said: “BJSS is committed to supporting the local communities we work in, and this partnership with Northcoders is an effective way of doing just that. The UK faces a very real digital skills shortage which affects all organisations, from SMEs and startups to PLCs. Our aim with this initiative is to directly help local firms gear up for the future by giving their teams the skills they need to grow and prosper. The last 18 months has been a challenging period for everyone - we believe these funded places will add real value as we emerge from the pandemic.”

Amy Wild – Chief Commercial Officer at Northcoders – added: “Northcoders is all about community, so we are delighted to be partnering with BJSS. The team’s decision to use their apprenticeship levy-transfer in this way will directly help small local businesses - which is fantastic. There are no exclusions or specific application criteria which means this is an opportunity that firms can grab with both hands.”

SME and startup businesses are now invited to put forward individuals here.