The Happy Drupal Apprenticeship

Published in 2014

Starting a career as a web developer can be hard. Many aren’t aware it’s something they can do, and for those that are, just finding what and where to learn can be a major challenge.

Existing routes of learning aren’t right for everyone, they can be expensive, outdated and often don’t teach the skills needed for the real world.

Apprenticeships offer an alternative, allowing people to learn practical and relevant skills in a real-life environment while earning, and gaining a recognised qualification.

OpenDrupal and Happy

I’ve recently been leading an initiative to support Apprenticeships and training in Drupal, called OpenDrupal. We’ve been working with Happy Computers, building training material for a pre-apprenticeship training programme and supporting them as industry experts for the 2014 Happy Drupal Apprenticeship.

Some fantastic people have been supporting the Apprenticeship programme and OpenDrupal, including members of Code Positive, White Fuse, Imagine Creative, and my own company Agile Collective are dedicated to these types of initiatives.

Programmes such as this are becoming increasingly popular and successful in the Digital sector, and for good reason. It’s the right time to think about embracing new ways of education, and Drupal’s wide, open and supportive community and ethos is perfect for this.

The 2014 Programme

On 17th February a group of young people will start a two week pre-apprenticeship training course in East London, based on the OpenDrupal Foundation Curriculum. There will then be an opportunity for companies to interview them for a one year placement. The Apprentices will also all be invited to DrupalCamp London to experience more of what Drupal is about and to meet placement companies.

Interested?

Apprenticeships are a cost-effective way to grow a team and train people the right way, and investing in young talent and growing the ecosystem of developers is vital within our industry.

Some benefits for companies include:

The current group are London based and will be aiming to start in March 2014, however there are ongoing opportunities to take part throughout England, at any time. If you are interested in applying as an Apprentice, applications closed on 10th February.

For more information around future programmes, get in contact with Happy Computers, or send me a tweet.