Booking.com has launched a free 15-week course to help women who've had a break from work kick-start a career in tech.
The ‘Your Journey Into Tech’ course, held at the booking site’s new £100m global transport hub in Manchester city centre, will aim to equip a cohort of 16 with the technical skills, resources and confidence to set them up for a career in software development.
It will also offer participants career support as part of a “collaborative, positive learning community”, Booking.com said.
The programme will be delivered in conjunction with Manchester-based Tech Returners, established in 2017 to remove barriers people of all ages, genders and life circumstances face following a career break.
Ryan Cheyne, people director at Booking.com in Manchester, said the company had an “important role to play” in getting talented people “back into great jobs”.
He said: “We’re competing with the world’s biggest tech brands for talent, which is why we’re investing in a new generation of female software developers.
“We look forward to opening our doors and showing them what a career in tech looks like, not just through the interesting nature of the work, but also the market-leading perks that are available to people with such an attractive skillset.”
Booking.com said applicants must prove they are both passionate about tech and demonstrate a “commitment to succeed”, with no specific qualifications required.
The programme will consist of one full week, from 10am to 4pm, followed by 14 weeks of two-and-a-half hours of lectures with around 10 hours of additional work required each week.
James Heggs, co-founder and tech coach at Tech Returners, said he is “delighted” that more companies are recognising the potential of returner talent.
He said: “We’re passionate about creating opportunities for returners to enter or re-enter the tech industry.
“We know the talent is out there and we’re here to provide a truly accessible, tangible route into a real technology career.”
