Many members of the Jamat are seeking to re-skill or upskill, in the face of rapid changes brought on by digitisation and automation of the employment landscape. The coronavirus and a potentially hard Brexit and prolonged recession will also have a deep impact on near-term employment prospects.
Technology - and particularly web technology - is an area that is not only part of our daily lives but is also in high demand by employers, being one of the few growth bright spots. It is especially approachable for those without much prior experience and offers a gentle learning curve and good employment prospects. It’s also fun!
To address this opportunity, the Aga Khan Economic Planning Board has developed a free online bootcamp - or training workshop - to teach basic-to-intermediate web development to members of the Jamat. Starting 2nd August, it is a thorough, 12-week course that will take participants from ‘zero to hero’; no prior knowledge is required, just a desire to learn and have fun while doing so.
Read more below, or register your interest for this course by clicking here.
This free bootcamp will appeal to those eager to learn about web technology in order to:
- Enter this field of employment or advance in a related field
- Prepare for digitisation of the workplace
- Understand the language of new business models
- Apply the new knowledge to their own business, or indeed a new business
- Take up this skill for their personal interest or hobby
By the end of the course, the participant will have the tools and knowledge to:
- Develop a web site for themselves or their own business
- Develop their expertise further, with ‘full stack’ web development
- Begin their career in an internship or structured entry-level programme
- Confidently hire and brief a front-end web developer
- Be equipped with a ‘future ready’ skill set that will only increase in demand
The workshop will be led by Kaamil Jasani, a full time financial tech software engineer and highly ranked participant in various national and international programming competitions. He has won first place in the Credit Suisse Global Coding Competition and second place in the ShowCode national coding competition. Kaamil is also winner of the Westfield Trust Prize for Outstanding Academic Achievement and recipient of the International Science and Engineering Excellence Award. Rest assured you are in very capable hands.
The course will run from Sunday 2nd August to Sunday 1st November and will consist of two online sessions a week, each lasting two hours. The format will involve high-quality, well-paced video tutorials, short live online lectures and lots of time to practice. Participants will primarily ‘learn-by-doing’, by developing a website from the ground up, to get a thorough understanding of web development at each step.
Alongside the sessions will be an online coaching channel to ensure all your questions are welcomed and answered as well as an online student community of peer-to-peer assistance and support. Together, we will support you all the way and will not let you fall behind. At the end of the course and after assessment, a certificate will be awarded highlighting your achievement.
The course structure will cover the following areas:
- HTML - how to display content on the web
- CSS - how to make the content look good
- Javascript - how to add interactivity to your content
- jQuery and AJAX - easily adding a touch of magic to your webpages
- Bootstrap - making your websites look and feel world class
- VSCode, GitHub and Heroku - your professional toolkit for developing and launching websites
- Google Firebase - easily add a super-fast database to your website
- Team project - to help apply your new knowledge and solidify your leaning
- Guest lectures from practicing web developers and tech recruiters
- CV, cover letter and interview preparation
The requirements for the course are:
- Access to a Windows PC or Mac laptop or desktop (a tablet will unfortunately not be sufficient)
- An internet connection
- A good level of English (at least B2 level)
- Time to commit and enthusiasm
- Prior knowledge is not required
We are particularly keen to welcome applications from women, Jamati members from the UK regions and non-UK European regions, those with disabilities and those wishing to pursue this field as a career. All ages are welcome. We would also love to hear from experienced front-end web developers who would like to assist with coaching participants.
Next steps: register your interest for this course by clicking here.
If you have any questions, please contact the Zaeem Maqsood, Board Member, AKEPB Employment Support via [email protected]
