About the course:

CSS, HTML and JavaScript are the fundamentals of web development. This March and April, let us take you on a journey of discovery from “no previous experience” to creating your first interactive website.

‍The course takes place every Wednesday (in-person) and Thursday (online) for five weeks, starting on 29th March 2023.

• In-person sessions run on Wednesdays at the beautiful Stockport Museum (AKA Staircase House), in Stockport town centre: Google Map.
  Information on access, opening hours, and getting to the venue are available on Stockport Council’s website here. (Please note, access for learners is free for the duration of the course.)
• ‍Online sessions will take place on Thursdays. We will send links for each session by email in advance, including any required preparation. We run the online session twice to help fit in with people’s schedules: 10am – 12pm, or 6pm – 8pm.
• ‍Optional drop-in sessions will also take place online, between 1pm and 2pm every Friday, and Mondays between 6pm and 7pm. These sessions are ideal for anyone who would like a bit of 1:1 tuition, go over anything they’ve learned, or are interested in exploring a bit further.

Interested? => APPLY NOW! <=

Who is this course for?

People who live in Stockport, who are aged between 18 and 30 and not currently in full-time education. We are especially looking to support those who are either unemployed or underemployed (e.g. on a zero-hours contract, or in a fast-food restaurant with unpredictable hours).

Complete beginners. Absolutely no coding experience is necessary, but we would encourage you to see if coding appeals to you (see ‘How to Apply’ for more info). You will also need to be familiar with using a computer – for example to browse the internet, or to save and find files on your hard drive.

Those with access to a laptop or computer on which you have permission to install the software required for the course (i.e. not a mobile phone or tablet). If you only have a desktop computer at home, we can provide a laptop for in-person sessions.

Someone who can make the commitment to attend the whole course. If you have a reason to miss one or two sessions, we will however work with you to make sure you don’t fall behind. For example through additional mentoring, or with a recording of an online workshop.

What do I get out of the course?

“This course offers so much value to its learners. You’ll gain tech-skills and industry insight, as well as CV and interview advice. The team here genuinely cares about the success of their students, and with their help I’ve landed my first tech-role in software engineering.”

— Chris. Amazon warehouse to Co-op Digital Apprenticeship

During our programme you will:

Build up a solid understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript – the building blocks of the web.

Develop an understanding of how websites are made, and you’ll have created two websites to show this

Receive battle-tested careers advice. We’ll help you sharpen your CV with a free 1:1 review, and give you career advice and support. Looking for a job? We can help with that too.

Get a real picture of what it’s like to work in the digital industry. What the different roles involve, and the different pathways into securing your first position.

Build industry-relevant experience with common workplace tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio Code, Slack for team communications, and Miro for online presentations.

Sharpen up your real-world developer skills – problem-solving, debugging, and pair programming. You’ll also enhance your personal-professional skillset – organisation, communication, and collaboration.

Receive a Certificate of Completion and a Training Reference.

Interested in finding out even more? You can access a week-by-week detailed summary of the programme in our participants’ handbook here.

Who will be delivering the training?

“Doing the course has helped me gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for coding. The team are always on hand for support and guidance. They really care about your progress and are happy to help you with your job hunt as well! I’m now using the knowledge and skills I’ve gained in my new career as a UX Designer.”

— Gemma. Print Technician to UX Associate Partner

Claire Wicher

The course will be led by Claire, MadLab’s Head of Education. Claire is a qualified Computer Science Teacher, and is currently studying for a Professional Doctorate in Technology and Engineering Education. She is the founder of grassroots learning organisation CodeUp UK (now CodeWith), and a Django Girls Trustee.

Throughout the course, Claire will be supported by a whole host of super-talented industry experts from MadLab’s active digital community, including:

• Rachael Turner. Company Director at MadLab, and former BBC Director/Producer. CV and Careers Advice is her specialism.
• Rafaela Osawe. Rafaela is a Software Developer at the BBC, and learned to code with MadLab.
• Drew Morgan. Founder/mentor of CodeWith Stockport. Drew qualified as a physics teacher in 2011, and taught for four years before returning to software development. He now works as a full-stack web and applications developer spectialising in Microsoft technologies.
• Keiran Wilkinson. Organiser/mentor of CodeWith, and Made in Manchester Awards’ Apprentice of the Year 2022.
• Dan Hett. Formerly MadLab’s lead tutor and now a Senior Narrative Designer with games developer Fishlabs. Former Senior Developer at BBC R&D and BAFTA award-winner.
• …and many more!

Anything else I need to know?

We don’t want cost to be a barrier to taking your first steps in coding, which is why this course is free. Lunch and refreshments will be provided at Stockport Museum every Wednesday. We can cater to most dietary needs, but please mention these when applying.

We’ll provide you with notebooks and stationery, an online course handbook, and other excellent pieces of merch (e.g. stickers..)

On a case-by-case basis, we will also make every effort to provide support with travel costs, childcare support, access to a computer, or anything else that might present a barrier to your taking part. If you have any questions about your particular situation, and how/whether we might be able to support you then please get in touch with us sooner rather than later using the contact details below.

The venue for our in-person learning is fully accessible and we adopt a disability-first approach to our teaching. If you have specific access needs then please also mention these during application.

Get in touch!

We’re always available, and happy to answer any queries you may have about any aspect of the course, or about your personal situation as a (potential) learner. You can reach out to us by email at [email protected], or via WhatsApp on 07883 310120. We aim to get back to everyone promptly, but if you’re messaging outside of our normal office hours  (Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm) we may take a little longer so please bear with us!

How to apply

You can make an application at any time between now and 12pm (midday) on Monday 20th March, using the online form here: LINK.

You’ll be asked some standard questions – your age, postcode, etc. – plus a few questions about why you’re interested in learning to code and whether you have any previous experience. We’ve kept the form as short as possible so it shouldn’t take you too long – around 20-30 minutes – to complete – but if you have any questions or hit any roadblocks then please get in touch as we’re always happy to help.

Please apply sooner rather than later. Places on the course are limited to 16 (due to the size of our training room). We do not ask for any previous experience, but you will be making an overall time commitment of 30+ hours, so we ask that you please make sure that it’s a good fit before you start.

After you apply

After you apply – and if you’re eligible – you’ll be contacted by one of our team (usually Claire, but you may also hear from Saadia or Rachael) to arrange a friendly and informal video interview. The interview is an opportunity to get to know you better, answer any questions you may have, and to give you more of an idea of what the course is like.

You will hear confirmation of your place on the course just after the interview. If we can’t offer you a place, we will explain why.

I’ve secured a place. What next?

Congratulations! After you’ve received confirmation of your place, the following will happen:

• We’ll send you a quickfire anonymous questionnaire, so we can better understand how you rate your digital (and other) skills. We will also ask you to take another quick survey at the end of the course, so we can measure how you’ve progressed. This helps us make sure that we are getting the best possible outcomes for everyone taking part, and helps us understand where we might make improvements or focus more in the future.
• We will arrange an (optional) onboarding session. This is so that you can find out a bit more about the course, and we can help get you set up with everything that you’ll need to complete the course, e.g. installing software, and preparing your CV.