Eleanor Roberts is celebrating her new job as a software developer with a top Sheffield digital agency.
Eleanor Roberts is celebrating her new job as a software developer with a top Sheffield digital agency. The 28-year-old is a graduate of EyUp, the award-winning Yorkshire tech skills academy which is offering a guarantee to its students – a tech job within six months or their money back.
Every graduate from the first cohort has now found a job.
Eleanor is loving her new role, working on digital marketing, bespoke web development and digital design services for UK corporates and multinational companies. She explained how she found out about EyUp and why she chose the course: “Someone forwarded me an article in The Star about EyUp and it was really just right time, right place for me. They have a lot of the same values I do, and the curriculum seemed to cover a lot of the really important things I wanted to learn – and more!”
Eleanor obtained a first class degree in forensic science at the University of West London and spent six years working in bartending before deciding to pursue a career in software development. She said: “I love problem solving! Coding is just like doing logic puzzles, so I have a blast doing it. I loved the EyUp course – it was really amazing. The trainer was very knowledgeable and engaging, the resources were superb and the exercises were designed to help you understand step-by-step. I would 100 per cent recommend it to others. It gives you weeks of experience working in an industry-style scrum team, covers so much interesting and useful information and was so enjoyable to complete.”
Looking ahead, Eleanor’s ambition is simple: “I want to have a job that I enjoy day to day and a house with three pets in it at any one given time.”
Founded by technology entrepreneur David Richards MBE, EyUp teaches people the most in-demand methods used in software development today. The 16-week programme equips students with all they need to know to get their first job as a software developer and has been ranked among the best coding bootcamps in the world. EyUp works with recruitment partner Affecto to help find suitable roles for graduates.
EyUp is recruiting for its third cohort to start in September 2022. Eight places are available, including two places funded by a bursary scheme for people from disadvantaged backgrounds or who are under-represented in the tech sector. The money-back pledge is for any graduates who complete the course and fail to land a tech job within six months.
To apply, visit www.eyup.com.
There are plenty of good opportunities for EyUp graduates. Latest data from Tech Nation shows digital tech roles accounted for nearly a quarter of advertised job vacancies in Sheffield in 2020 –
5,591 in a total of 24,501. A software developer could expect to earn £40,000 per year and a Java developer £52,500, according to Tech Nation’s analysis.
David Richards MBE, founder, CEO and chairman of WANdisco plc, said: “We are thrilled that people like Eleanor Roberts are choosing to develop their careers with EyUp, which is open to anyone with aptitude, whether they are starting out in the world of work or midway through their career. Eleanor will be a wonderful addition to her new employer’s team and with the skills she has acquired and is developing, she has a great future ahead of her.”
All applicants to EyUp are evaluated on aptitude rather than experience as part of the assessment process. Course fees can be paid up front or with payment plans from EdAid or Knoma. EyUp offers classroom-based learning at Castle House, the open-plan office of WANdisco plc. For more information, please visit www.eyup.com
