Northcoders coding bootcamp expands on first anniversary

Northcoders, the coding bootcamp at The Sharp Project, Manchester’s digital and creative complex, has announced expansion plans as it celebrates its first year in operation.

Due to strong demand for their intensive 12-week course, the company has doubled the size of each cohort and created a second classroom to accommodate the extra 20 students.

The start-up runs a course every three months, and has also taken extra office space in one of the converted shipping containers.

Founded to help satisfy the rapidly increasing demand in Manchester for developers, the course aims to give individuals of any age the opportunity to learn coding to an industry-standard level.

80 per cent or course graduates have found employment in a range of companies from web development agencies and data companies to start-ups.

Northcoders offer a full-stack JavaScript course designed to get passionate beginners into entry-level software engineering roles.

The first half of the course teaches students the technical skills and the second half is spent honing those skills by working on live projects for real clients.

James Brookes, co-founder of Northcoders said: “There is a massive need for talented developers with nearly half UK companies in the sector desperate to fill multiple vacancies.

“We’re helping plug that skills gap. More than a million new digital jobs are being created every year and many of them will be in the north-west and east of England.

“That’s why we chose Manchester for our first coding bootcamp. And the obvious place in Manchester for us was The Sharp Project. It was absolutely the right choice and we’re extremely excited to be expanding our facilities here.”

Chris Hill, Northcoders co-founder added: “We are also very committed to teaching more women to learn to code. It will redress the balance and create a healthier and more natural working environment.

“We believe balanced teams are better teams. We have a female tutor, Harriet Ryder 26, and last year offered nine #womenintech scholarships for women, eight of whom have got jobs as software developers.”