The South West tech industry has 20 more coders thanks to a new software development skills bootcamp.

The Headforwards Digital Academy Full Stack graduates have pivoted from diverse backgrounds - including careers in hospitality and nursing, and from all age ranges and genders - and have been able to return to work following redundancy.

They started their 16-week journey with little to no coding knowledge and were introduced to common programming languages such as Bootstrap, Django and JavaScript, and the principles of Agile development.

Toby Parkins, group chief executive officer for Headforwards, said: “For many years, there’s been a recruitment challenge for tech and software development businesses to find the right skills.

“We know the type of candidate that makes a great software developer, so we decided to create our own programme to provide the core skills we need for them hit the ground running. They are now ready to make their mark on future employers.”

Becky Williams, 38, from Camborne, signed up after a decade of working as an NHS nurse. “It just doesn’t fit in with life as a single mum anymore - I wanted a career I could progress with and that fits around my daughter,” she said.

“It was a massive learning curve. I’m used to working on a busy ward with lots of people, so being at home in my living room and having to figure this out for myself was challenging – and I’m used to being an expert, whereas now I knew nothing. That switch was quite tricky, but the course has shown me that I can get through it, and I can do it.”

St Ives audio engineering graduate Guy Clements, 35, had pursued a post-university career in hospitality and was keen to get back into tech. “I felt like I didn't really have anywhere to go in the job I was working in, and when I saw this pop up, I thought, ‘this is the time’,” he said.

He was pleasantly surprised by the social aspect of the course. “I expected to be on my own going through work and building my skills, but I've met loads of cool people, and we work together on projects. We've become friends and we help each other out. You learn so much more by teaching other people things.”

Headforwards Digital Academy is part of Digital Futures, which has received £2 million through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Cllr Louis Gardner, portfolio holder for economy at Cornwall Council, said: “This is a shining example of how we can address the skills gap in the tech sector while creating new opportunities for people across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

The Headforwards Digital Academy is now taking applications for its next, starting Spring 2025. Applicants must be 18 or over, resident in Cornwall or Scilly, or employed by a business based in Cornwall and Scilly to apply. Visit www.headforwards.com/digital-academy/