New ESF funded programme announced to boost Cornwall’s software industry

Software professionals across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will soon have access to advanced skills training delivered through Software Cornwall, as part of a county-wide Employer-Led Skills (ELS) project led by Cornwall Marine Network.

From June, Software Cornwall will roll out a three-year training programme as a Delivery Partner for the ELS project, which is part-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund (ESF).

The programme will offer a mix of online and classroom-based training to help employers and employees stay current with key skills. Areas covered will include software engineering, quality assurance, user experience and product management. Training in Agile values and leadership will help with remote team management during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first sessions will take place on 16th-19th June, with internationally-recognised instructors Kevlin Henney and Jon Jagger delivering a four-day online course on Test-Driven Development. The course is part-funded by Software Cornwall and is open to software engineers of all levels.

Mike Barritt, director of Software Cornwall, said: “Software is the fastest-growing industry in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and demand for Cornish software and skills continues to grow as organisations look to transform digitally. This programme will help employers and software engineers to keep their skills and delivery capabilities current, fuelling their continued success.”

Dr Mark Sullivan FRCGP, managing director of Camborne-based LumiraDx Care Solutions, said: “Access to further ESF funding for upskilling the workforce is great news for Cornwall’s software industry. LumiraDx has been part of Cornwall’s growing digital economy for several years and we welcome this new programme which will help it to grow and flourish further.”

The programme is open to Cornwall-based employers of all sizes, as well as self-employed software professionals, employees currently on furlough, and software engineers made redundant in the past six months.

Click here to view courses and booking information.