The earn-as-you-learn IT apprenticeship scheme Career Encode has proven so successful that it's being rolled out across Northern Ireland in 2020.
Northern Ireland's IT and tech sector has grown so fast in recent years that the demand for skilled IT staff has skyrocketed, and that's good news for those seeking to change careers. Some of NI's top tech firms have been working with universities to produce new accreddited degree pathways to meet the specific needs of industries from cyber-security to emerging tech.
Career Encode started last year as an IT apprenticeship scheme backed by nine businesses in the Mid-Ulster, North West and North Antrim areas of Northern Ireland and delivered by Northern Regional College. It offers an "earn as you learn" model for school leavers who want to start a career in IT and those seeking to retrain into an IT role without the financial hit of university or college tuition fees.
Those on the scheme gain an apprenticeship with one of the partner firms with a full salary while at the same time working toward a Foundation Degree qualification accredited by Ulster University. The pilot scheme has proven so successful for all involved that Career Encode has announced a full Northern Ireland-wide rollout scheduled for next year.
Commenting on the announcement of the NI-wide rollout at the launch event in Ballymena, several of the companies involved called on other employers to join the scheme. Career Encode is now looking for more companies across Northern Ireland to come on board, and has already secured spaces for 12 new apprentices with local IT firms. The scheme plans to ramp up participation in 2020 across the region.
Source: Derry Now, Career Encode
