The Developer Academy – Founder Ben Atha
Tell us about yourself – sell yourself!
We teach people how to code using an online system, which means you can learn where you want, when you want, with evening and weekend instructor-led group sessions, where you ask questions, get guidance under learning and tailored support. We also provide projects to cement your knowledge and build a portfolio that you can show to potential employers.
This means that you can train around your current job and commitments, with the expert support you need while allowing you to move as fast as suit your circumstances. We only teach the coding skills that local tech employers tell us they want to help you launch a successful new career.
There are no educational entrance requirements, and you can complete a program in as little as 4 months. Membership fees are very affordable – much lower than boot camps and lower than some online courses, you pay monthly and can stop and restart your membership.
What gave you the idea for your business?
There’s a widening skills gap in Sheffield and nationwide, and most of the talent coming out of universities goes to larger cities, so I decided to find a way of retraining people who already live and work in Sheffield around their jobs for wanting tech. The current choices are online courses which have very high drop-out rates or a full-time boot-camp which means quitting your job and costs £6,000. That’s why I came up with this program, which is much more affordable and offers you the flexibility to train around your current job.
Who are your customers and how are you targeting them?
We target people who either unhappy in their current job, want to move departments, or know that coding skills are not only in-demand now, but also will be in-demand in the future. We also work with employers to up-skill their existing workforce, which ranges from marketing departments who want to better analyse data, to project managers who want to communicate better with their dev teams and improve efficiencies. We are targeting them via social media and PR.
How can people get in touch with you?
Email benatha@thedeveloperacademy.com
Phone: 07748063791
Twitter: @TheDevAcademy
Facebook: @thedeveloperacademy
Instagram: @thedeveloperacademy