Bristol-based digital skills school Develop Me has partnered with social enterprise EdAid with a mission to level the playing field for talented, ambitious students to access affordable training or higher education and showcase their potential to future employers.
Develop Me’s 12-week intensive Coding Fellowship Programme – which runs four times a year – delivers expert level and industry relevant digital skills training, with a direct route into employment for their graduates. 
Develop Me, which is based Bristol’s Paintworks creative hub, aims to foster and connect talented individuals directly to employment opportunities by challenging the existing models of educational provision.
As part of this mission, it is working hard to enable anyone to have access to their training. A variety of finance options is available to students, while modular, after-work, part-time and evening training programmes are planned to launch this summer.
The new partnership with EdAid will provide students with direct access to its crowdfunding platform, and offer an interest-free alternative to traditional student loans.
Director Al Kennedy said: “Develop Me believes very strongly that nobody should get ‘left behind’ in the ‘new economy’.
“As the digital revolution increasingly touches every aspect of our lives, the UK needs a technology workforce that reflects the full diversity of the people who use that technology.” 
Following just one cohort of students being put through their paces in the 12-week course, there are plenty of success stories that give the region’s tech community hope for a future in which the skills gap begins to close.
Kiran Bilon, who was in Develop Me’ s first cohort, is now on placement with Bristol-based digital marketing agency Proctor + Stevenson.
Check out what Kiran has to say about her experience in this video
Simon Capet, who also attended the first Coding Fellowship, came from a non-technical arts background and thought the course might help him to gain an internship without going through the lengthy process of gaining a degree or formal higher qualification.
Instead, he ended up working in a paid developer role at Bristol-based analytics company On Corps after just 12 weeks of training. 
Simon talks about his journey more in this video
As well as providing the course itself, and new finance opportunities with EdAid, Develop Me has been working with local companies to help find work placements for its students – so providing skills, access to finance and employment opportunities all in one programme.
Hear what Bristol digital agency Nudge Digital has to say about its experience offering work placements for students on the Coding Fellowship course in this video
From the experiences of both those interested in becoming developers and those trying to recruit them, Develop Me’s Coding Fellowship programme is having an impact with impressive results and now you can crowdfund your way to a new career in code.
Anyone can attend a free introductory Coding Fellowship evening to find out more about the Coding Fellowship. Check out the Develop Me/EdAid page on the Develop Me website and other funding options. Follow them on Twitter @develop_me_uk to stay up to date with courses, events and news.
