Binance Charity, a non-profit focused on unlocking the power of blockchain to support social change, has today launched a new partnership with School of Code, a Birmingham-based social enterprise that offers intensive training for individuals seeking employment in technology jobs across the UK.
With no academic or technical expertise required, the partnership will be focused on removing the educational and financial barriers to pursuing a successful career in tech. Bootcampers will be selected based on their motivation, humility, curiosity and willingness for teamwork. Successful applicants will receive an intensive 16-week course, including the ability to present live demos to social enterprises and charities within School of Code’s employer partner network. Training will be provided at no cost to the individual, thanks to a mixture of UK government funding and costs being covered by employer partners.
The partnership’s first year will provide 50 bootcampers with a range of technical and soft skills, including daily front and back-end coding tuition, framework skills and an understanding of fundamental computational thinking. It hopes to harness School of Code’s record of achieving impressive employment rates. To date, between 75 – 95% of bootcamp graduates have landed roles with employer partners.
In addition to broadening access to high quality tech roles, this investment will benefit social enterprises and charities, with the bootcampers placed in these mission-driven organisations that have previously been unable to compete for and financially support the development of tech talent.
With growing employer demand for technology skills – from coding to Web3 – a widening skills gap is emerging in the UK. This presents a significant challenge for organisations unable to compete for and financially support the development of tech talent. Mission-driven organisations will join School of Code’s employer partner community, which includes Santander, Purple Bricks and The Economist, and have direct access to a diverse pool of entry-level tech talent and essential digital skills.
As a Scholarship Partner, Binance Charity will contribute to the curriculum, host future events and launch bootcamps. Mentors from Binance Charity, BNB Chain and Binance Labs will provide sessions as well as introduce School of Code and the potential employers to Britain’s coding, Web3 and the blockchain ecosystem.
Helen Hai, Head of Binance Charity, stated “Binance Charity believes in blockchain as a driver of social transformation. Improving accessibility to education and training is pivotal to advancing innovation and research in the sector. We’re delighted to support School of Code in lessening the barriers to entry, transforming beginners to developers. It’s thrilling to help shape the industry’s future. Not only is School of Code futureproofing careers, it is futureproofing the UK’s tech sector one bootcamp at a time.”
Chris Meah, Founder and CEO, School of Code, added “We’re over the moon to be partnering with Binance Charity. Having started seven years ago, this investment will enable a greater number of bootcampers – of different genders, background and ages – with a route into tech careers. Today’s announcement marks just the beginning of our partnership with Binance Charity, supporting countless social enterprises, charities and individuals. With Binance Charity’s market expertise, we can play a pivotal role in driving the nation’s tech sector forward.
Binance Charity continues to be driven by its commitment to building a better ecosystem for blockchain and cryptocurrency, making financial opportunity accessible to everyone. Binance Charity seeks to demonstrate the power of blockchain and cryptocurrency for societal and economic good, through global philanthropic investments into education and development.