1. Founders and Coders is a small nonprofit training provider with a highly innovative peer-led training model and a focus on software developer apprenticeships.
2. We ran our first training programme in 2014 and incorporated as a Community Interest Company in 2015. Our programmes have always been free to learners and have been sustained by a significant amount of volunteer effort.
3. We have a strong shared commitment to inclusion and community, as evidenced by the demographic diversity of our intake and a high level of engagement from programme alumni.
4. Partnerships are very important to us. We have a number of longstanding relationships with employers, including global brands, software consultancies, and startups.
5. Locally in Finsbury Park, we work closely with Islington Council and other local stakeholders. Applications from residents of Islington and the surrounding boroughs are up significantly in recent years.
6. Internationally, we have worked with the British Embassy in Israel, with DCMS in South Africa, and with US-based NGO Mercy Corps to set up programmes in Gaza and the West Bank. Our curriculum is open source and has been used by a number of other training organisations around the world.
7. In 2020, we adapted our in-person programme into an online environment while embarking on an extensive rewrite of our curriculum. Almost 100 programme alumni were involved in some capacity in supporting one or other of our programmes that year.
8. In 2021, we transitioned to offering a Level 4 Software Developer apprenticeship training and ran our first DfE-funded Skills Bootcamps. Our apprenticeship training is now in-person three days per week.
9. In 2023, we are excited to be launching a Level 7 Machine Learning (AI) apprenticeship and to be running our first Skills Bootcamp in virtual reality.