Digital Skills Bootcamp helps fill job vacancies

Businesses are benefitting from what is essentially a free recruitment service that works with candidates who are looking

for opportunities in digital marketing WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

Afree recruitment service for digital marketing roles is part of a wider scheme to help close the digital skills gap by training individuals who want to break into the industry, switch careers, or develop their current workplace.

Leicester company Anicca Digital is a training provider approved by the Government to run its Digital Skills Bootcamp course. The next course begins in March, with more course dates to be confirmed in the coming months.

The company has created an online community to advertise jobs to its learners through its online Slack and WhatsApp groups. They currently have around 50 candidates seeking new opportunities in digital marketing. In the last 12 months, Anicca’s Bootcamp has kickstarted the careers of over 250 people across the East Midlands and East Anglia.

Anicca, which turned 15 last year, has received funding by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership to run the 10-module course. As part of the funding deal, approved training providers must guarantee unemployed learners a job after completing the three-month course.

Going the extra mile, Anicca created a new position in the business. Salema Khatun is the firm’s Employer Liaison Officer whose role is to work with local employers and provide free candidate screening and CV matching.

Smaller companies looking to fill digital marketing roles can typically find it difficult to secure an ideal candidate due to the nature of the industry, according to Anicca. Trainees can be hard to come by as it can seem expensive to hire through a recruitment agency, graduates may have little practical experience, and older and more experienced workers may not have the IT skills required.

Ann Stanley, founder and CEO of Anicca, commented: “Digital marketing has come very far very quickly and has created a generational skillset gap. We deliberately try to help minority and priority groups such as those over the age of 50 or under 24, and the BAME community.

“Employers already know that those who have taken the course have had the tenacity to do so, we’ve already pre-screened the candidates, and they’ll have the knowledge they’ve gained through the course. That level of training is a huge part of education for adults and a significant advantage to small businesses.”

The course leads to a level 5 qualification from the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI). So far, over 50 learners have successfully passed their exam with an average pass rate of 90%. Having a level 5 qualification in digital marketing can open doors to new job opportunities and further education, such as a degree apprenticeship at level 6.

The course, worth £2,500, is free to the unemployed and self-employed. SME employers are required to contribute £250 towards the course, and companies with more than 250 employees are to contribute £750.

“If you’re an employer and want someone to take the course, or you’re struggling to find candidates for a new role, we have this free recruitment service available to you.”

Get in touch via anicca.co.uk to learn more about advertising jobs. Apply for the course at anicca.co.uk/free-digitalmarketing-recruitment-services.

DIGITAL MARKETING HAS COME VERY FAR VERY QUICKLY AND HAS CREATED A GENERATIONAL SKILLSET GAP