A CITY university is to offer scholarships to locals interested in a career in programming and software engineering. 

Glasgow Caledonian University has teamed up with Scottish Tech Army to provide 30 places on the Software Development Flexible Learning Opportunity course, which starts later this month. 

It's all in a bid to create more opportunities in the tech sector with the scholarships covering the cost of tuition fees for up to six modules in IT Software Development. 

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GCU’s Fiona Stewart-Knight, assistant vice principal Business Partnerships and director of the Institute for University to Business Education (U2B), said: “We want to mobilise talent and bridge qualifications and skills gaps at a time when there is a more challenging employment landscape and a struggling economy that has been materially impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic." 

The funded scheme is taking applications now with programmes set to start on January 19.  The flexible, accredited, online study opportunities are designed to build depth of knowledge in programming, network and cloud computing, software engineering, maths for computing and database development.

Each module carries academic credit and on completion students will be given those portable academic credits that will enable them to continue to study in any area whilst they work or seek work.

When they complete all six modules, will be awarded a 120 credit Certificate of Higher Education in Computing from GCU, which is equivalent to completion of the first year of a BSc Software Development for Business programme at GCU.

Alistair Forbes, founding director and CEO of the Scottish Tech Army, said: “We have seen at first hand the challenges that many people in the tech sector in Scotland, particularly those in the early stages of their careers, have been facing as a result of the economic disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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“We believe that this initiative is an excellent example of the innovative partnership working that has been a really positive development as organisations across Scotland respond to the challenges that were caused by the pandemic."

GCU and the Scottish Tech Army are running information sessions for those interested in applying for the scholarships. 

Reserve a space on Eventbrite.