J.P. Morgan has enrolled employees on a new programme from the UK’s recently established Institute of Coding (IoC), designed to help experienced workers obtain a master’s degree in Computer Science while still in full-employment.
J.P. Morgan is the first organisation to take advantage of the new Institute of Coding Course, following the launch of the £20 million joint industry-government initiative.
The first round of the programme consists of 15 people who began their first classes last October and will be awarded with accreditation from the University of Bath.
The programme was designed on the back of the 2018 approval of the Digital & Technology Solutions Specialist qualification which aims to bolster employee skillsets through the uses of high quality E-Learning.
Read this: Digital Needs 518,000 Workers by 2020 – Will an Institute of Coding Help?
Due to the fact they are still full-time employees with commitments they will only spend the equivalent of one day per week studying online over the course of 2.5 years, upon which they will be awarded an MSc. Workers based in J.P. Morgan’s Bournemouth and London offices were eligible to take part in the pilot.
Rachid Hourizi director of the Institute of Coding said in a release announcing the news: “The new Digital Degree Apprenticeship course provides a major opportunity for UK businesses to up-skill employees, equipping them with the latest computer science qualifications, without jeopardising productivity.”
“This initiative is also about personal empowerment, giving workers the chance to increase their value, learn new skills and improve their careers by gaining access to high quality education without having to commit to full-time education and travel.”
Institute of Coding Course Begins in Earnest
The Institute of Coding was announced January 2018 by Prime Minister Theresa May when she pledged £20 million towards the creation of the Institute. It was officially launched on the 21st of June. This £20 million has been matched with another £20 million from industry operators such as Dell, Microsoft and Cisco.
Speaking to Computer Business Review last year, IoC Director Dr Rachid Hourizi claimed the UK needed 518,000 tech workers by the year 2022, but that in the last ten years only 164,000 graduated with a first degree in computer science, describing it as “not just a problem, it’s an order of magnitude problem.”
The Institute is being setup in a way that it will be university-based, but will be in partnership with industry and employers in digital sectors to better understand their needs: “The whole point is that industry and educators sit together to develop courses that work for both of them,” Dr Hourizi said,
Read More: Digital Needs 518,000 Workers by 2020 – Will an Institute of Coding Help?
J.P. Morgan’s enrolment of employees into this pilot program is the first real sign of industry up-take in what the institute is trying to foster; a collaboration between industry and academia creating an environment where full time workers can further increase their skillset through degree programs.
Derek Joyce, Managing Director within Technology Strategy at J.P. Morgan added in the release: “Technology is evolving at such a pace that it’s critical for us all to focus on learning. This apprenticeship is a fantastic opportunity for some of our experienced employees to take that time and get access to high quality, hands-on training that will build technology skills, increase their impact and kick-start the next phase of their career.”
