From Cyber Skills Bootcamps to Coca-Cola: programme is helping to enhance careers

As University of Gloucestershire prepares to launch its second series of Cyber Skills Bootcamps, a member of last year’s cohort has reflected on how the programme helped to ‘jumpstart’ his career working with one of the biggest companies in the world.

Alex McGrigor (pictured) completed the-month IOC-sponsored Data Science Bootcamp delivered by University in March 2022 and secured a new position as a data consultant with Redkite in August 2022, where his clients include Coca-Cola.

Delivered virtually, the bootcamps have been developed by the Government as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs, in partnership with employers, providers and local authorities, to enhance skills and knowledge around cyber analysis, software engineering and data science.

Alex said: “I signed up to the bootcamp to jumpstart my transition from a technical business analyst to a role in data science. Previously I had worked as a data analyst for a consultancy specialising in regulatory reporting within the financial services industry, but I loved coding and wanted the chance to explore more technical roles.

“Up until November 2021, coding was a small part of my day-to-day job and wasn’t enough to prove I had the level of coding ability required for data science roles.

“The bootcamp not only afforded the opportunity to refresh and practise some key data science principles and concepts, but also the chance to deliver a Deep Learning project at the end of the course which I’d be able to refer to in future data science interviews.

“I now I work as a data consultant, working specifically at the moment on Natural Language Processing projects, specifically with Coca-Cola as my client.

“I love my new role. I am surrounded by incredibly talented business analysts and engineers who are working with cutting edge tools, technologies, and techniques to help clients achieve their goals through data. It’s an incredibly exciting time to work in the data space.”

The Skills Bootcamps, which start week commencing Monday, 24 October, are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up technology skills and enhance career opportunities.

The Skills Bootcamps at the University – Highly Commended in the Cyber University of the Year category at this year’s National Cyber Awards – will provide digital skills education and deliver resilient pathways to work, with learners receiving the opportunity to secure an interview with an employer upon the successful completion of the course. 

The three courses hosted by the University – Cyber Analysis, Software Engineering and Data Science – have proved so popular that applications have now closed.

Employers wishing to find out more about how they can support learners from the Skills Bootcamps should email Laura Whitmore, Cyber Business Development Manager from the School of Computing and Engineering, at lwhitmore@glos.ac.uk.