Let them learn! How to nurture great software engineers

How do you recruit great software engineers?

For two years, I curated and delivered the Made Tech academy programme. Two or three times a year, we recruited between twelve and twenty-two individuals with minimal coding experience. They earnt a salary while training full time in modern software development techniques, followed by a new job as a software consultant.

We deliberately targeted under-represented groups and did not expect candidates to have any qualifications at all, or even any work experience. All we asked for was a commitment to tech and a small amount of coding experience.

From modest beginnings and over a period of five years, Made Tech have built a highly successful and effective training programme which is still going strong. In this talk I share some of the principles and techniques which make it work.

Key takeaways:

·         How to recruit fledgling engineers

·         How to use an academy programme to nurture new talent and maximise diversity

·         How to curate and deliver effective learning content

·         How to build an ongoing learning culture