Government pushes career transforming bootcamps with £70K salaries for Gen Z

Michelle Donelan, the Secretary of State for Science and Technology, has unveiled a new initiative to promote Skills Bootcamps that have the potential to revolutionise careers.

These government-endorsed, cost-free Skills Bootcamps are promising double salary expectations, with participants in cloud computing roles seeing average salaries of £70,000.

These bootcamps are designed to meet the sky high demand for cloud and coding skills, enabling participants to develop these digital skills from the ground up and securing them an interview upon completion. This initiative comes as the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) launches a drive to encourage greater enrolment in digital Skills Bootcamps, covering areas such as cloud computing, cybersecurity and software development.

The campaign to boost tech skills of Gen-Z started in 2022, achieving significant success as more than half of the participants landed jobs immediately in its inaugural year. Now, with the 2030 target to establish the UK as a global tech 'superpower' fast approaching, the government is intensifying its promotional activities to accelerate progress.

Despite a decline in tech job advertisements over the past year, the need for junior and entry-level positions remained strong. Technology firms faced challenges in attracting the early career professionals essential for meeting their expansion goals.

This prospect runs alongside wider government efforts to reword work and drive economic growth, including the reduction of National Insurance Contributions for millions of UK workers, a move that results in an annual saving of £450 for the average employee.

Sachin Agrawal, UK Managing Director at Zoho UK, said: “Building digital skills and a pipeline of digital natives to lead innovation throughout the workforce is essential as part of the UK’s ongoing aim to cement itself as a global technology superpower.

"Organisations need access to skilled staff to maximise the benefits of tech in order to give them a competitive edge. This is especially true with the rapid development and adoption of technologies such as AI becoming an integral part of business processes.”

“Initiatives like no-skill bootcamps are important to encourage young people into the technology industry. Here Gen Z can learn digital skills, helping to bridge the gap between education and industry. The Chartered Institute for IT (BCS) recently highlighted that 94% of girls and 79% of boys drop computing at the age of 14, which could damage future generation development in technology focused roles.

"Bootcamps focusing on key skill sets including cyber security, web development, software development, cloud computing, and data and analytics, allows education and industry to take a hands-on approach, enabling youngsters to develop critical digital skills.

"This can only help to safeguard the future employment of our next generation, enabling them to operate well in the workplace, compete effectively for job roles, and contribute to the ongoing development of the UK's technology superpower status."