By Jen Lau, IN4 Group. 7th May 2024.

Technology skills and innovation provider IN4 Group and AWS (Amazon Webs Services) re/Start celebrated almost 600 people graduating from Skills City‘s Skills Bootcamps, showcasing Greater Manchester’s dynamic tech industry and the diverse talent that supports it.

The collaboration has been building an inclusive and diverse local pipeline of new cloud talent by focusing on unemployed and underemployed individuals to help them launch a career in the cloud.

Skills City, operated by IN4 Group, is aimed at increasing fair access to technology careers, particularly for those from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds.

Its AWS re/Start Skills Bootcamps, supported by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and the Department for Education, has seen huge success in the last four years over the 23 cohorts it has delivered.

The AWS re/Start programme has reached diverse communities with 74% of participants from underrepresented groups, 26% women and 4% identifying as non-binary.

While 86% of participants have qualified as AWS-certified Cloud Practitioners, the Skills Bootcamp has proven to be a popular choice with over 2233 applications as people without a background in technology have been able to apply. This has encouraged career changers and breakers like return-to-work mums, as well as those who are unemployed to explore new careers in tech.

The AWS 500 Celebration brought together past alumni students, organisations, and local government at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester to mark this significant milestone and highlight the achievements of those who have launched careers in tech.

She said: “A diverse workforce helps to create an inclusive workforce for the benefit of employers and employees. This helps to attract talent, and in turn, the business will excel… we possess the power to redefine success and shape a future for ourselves and future generations.”

Panellists Gemma Marsh, Director of Education, Work & Skills, GMCA, Claire Spiller, Senior Manager EMEA and Laura Addison, Senior Programme Manager (UK&I and Nordics) from AWS re/Start spoke about the origins and the impact of the programme.

Claire highlighted the huge skills shortage with 75% of organisations struggling to find people with AI skills.

Laura commented: “What makes a successful collaboration when it comes to championing diversity in tech is when it opens up opportunities and I think a testament to that is the 500 plus people that IN4 have supported… the whole team puts passion into action.”

Past alumni, Aminah Ahmed; Simone Heil; and Benjamin Dale also joined a panel discussion to share their stories and the life-changing impact AWS re/Start has had on their confidence as they have gone on to hold successful careers in tech.

Aminah said: “It's not just about opportunities, it's about having the courage to actually take those opportunities. Before joining the bootcamp, I really struggled with confidence and anxiety so if I was presented with opportunities, more often than not, I would decline just because the thought absolutely terrified me.

“I remember on my very first day of the bootcamp, I said I wanted to become comfortable with the uncomfortable and that's an ethos and a principle I've taken with me throughout my life and my career.”

Employers Robin Ford, Senior Technical Architect at Accenture and Peter Lai, Continuous Improvement & 4IR Manager at NGF Europe spoke about the benefits and the huge impact the AWS re/Start graduates have had on their organisations.

“There are hundreds of passionate people with unbelievable skills, drive and ambition locally to Manchester that we should be tapping into and great programmes we should be looking to support as well,” Robin explained.

Gemma captured the mood of the event and magic of Manchester perfectly: “We strive to be different so Greater Manchester will not ask permission, it will always push boundaries… we're always learning in Greater Manchester to do things differently and that's what makes programmes like this absolutely amazing.”

If you’re interested in a career change or a new tech career, find out more and apply for the latest digital Skills Bootcamps here. Employers interested in accessing digital talent from Skills City or upskilling their existing teams in AWS to help scale their organisations can find out more.