About Us

Northcoders is a provider of training programmes for software coding, offering a range of training and software development solutions for individual and corporate customers. The Company’s offering includes ‘bootcamp’ training courses, government funded apprenticeships, bespoke training courses and software development solutions for corporate customers. The Company operates a hybrid delivery model by providing its services through a combination of in person training, at one of Northcoders’ regional hubs, and digitally via training through its online platform.

Coding bootcamps

Coding bootcamps are designed for individuals seeking a career as a software developer and can be based from either the Manchester and Leeds hubs or online. The bootcamp is a 12 to 14 week course delivered across four teaching blocks, comprising:

• Fundamentals – introducing students to the course and providing an understanding of the fundamentals and best practices of programming.
• Back End – students are taught how to use Node.js to run code for the back-end and programming. This part of the course also introduces APIs and databases, and covers Express and SQL.
• Front End – students are taught about DOM and how to make accessible websites with semantic HTML and responsive CSS, and introduces UX and React.
• Project Phase – the final phase in the course enables students to put their learning into practice as part of a green-field team project.

Following completion of the course, graduates are provided with one to one sessions with dedicated career advisors.

Northcoders continually evaluates the content of its bootcamp curriculum to ensure graduates are leaving the course with sought-after coding skills and are best-positioned for software-related job vacancies.

Northcoders’ mission is to prepare students for a career in technology. To date, over 800 students have enrolled on Northcoder bootcamps with around 95 per cent. of graduates going on to be employed within 44 days of course completion. In doing so, the Company has achieved a 4.9/5-star Feefo rating and built its reputation in the market.

Students on the coding bootcamp are either consumer or corporate customers. Students pay for the bootcamp up front or through student finance options such as that provided by EdAid.

Apprenticeships

The Group is a fully accredited apprenticeship provider having acquired the relevant accreditation in December 2020 through its acquisition of TechEd.

The apprenticeships courses offered by Northcoders typically start every five to seven weeks and run for a duration of 13 months, providing the Group with good visibility of revenue. The apprenticeship programmes are either fully or partially government funded, therefore providing an incentive to companies to train, upskill and reskill their employees with Northcoders.

Northcoders’ apprenticeship courses provide a combination of instructor-led workshops, e-learning,

mentoring and practical projects to supply the learner with the skills needed to progress in their future career through on the job training. The two main programmes are:

• Upskill – which provides further development for already proficient coders;
• Re-skill – which addresses the needs of employees whose main roles are not in coding but who need to understand the basics or are transitioning into a software development role.

The Directors expect strong growth in this service line as a result of the government’s promotion of the skills agenda.

The modern national apprenticeship scheme was launched in 1995. The current apprenticeship levy scheme requires all companies with annual staff costs of over £3 million to pay an amount equivalent to 0.5 per cent. of their wage bill above this level to a levy fund, to which the government adds a 10 per cent. top-up. New apprentices may be paid from this account to the tune of £18,000 per course, with the requirements (a) that the course will last at least 12 months and (b) that the funds will be spent within 24 months of their being deposited. Non-levy companies may receive a government contribution of 95 per cent. for apprenticeship costs.

In addition, as a consequence of the Covid pandemic, there is a greater necessity for companies to have an online offering, or be tech-enabled. Consequently, businesses will increasingly need their human capital to be code-literate.

Bespoke training courses and software development solutions for corporate customers

Northcoders is able to be flexible to meet the demands of customers. For instance, Northcoders can provide bespoke training solutions to companies, allowing corporates to outsource the reskilling or upskilling of their employees in certain areas to meet their desired specifications.

Northcoders has also been engaged by companies to design and deliver innovative technology solutions. Northcoders works with the company to define the brief and solution they require and then, using the highly skilled human capital at Northcoders, they design and deliver the solution.

Northcoders also offers a hybrid of these two services by training client employees in conjunction with developing and building a solution the client has requested. At the end of the process, the client is provided with employees who are trained and are familiar and competent with the new solution they are using given that they helped to develop it.