Inclusive Bytes is a community interest company (CIC) that brings together young people who need work experience opportunities, and non-profit organisations that can’t necessarily afford tech services. The company was formed when Gordon Pearce from bITo Ltd and Andy Powell from Kuiper Industries joined forces.
Working with Oldham College, Inclusive Bytes are able to offer Digital T Level learners meaningful, real-world work experience in a way that is affordable to third sector clients.
Learners attend their career-launching placements one day per week, until they have completed the required 45 days, or 315 hours. Learners at Inclusive Bytes have also been completing block placements after their exams.
The longer placement time allows students to immerse themselves in projects and the company, seeing more processes to completion, and for the placement itself to be more varied.
“The relationship with the College works so well, because we get to fill in the gaps of the things that students learn academically,” says Gordon.
Students are provided with access to learning resources, such as freeCodeCamp, to enhance their learning and development.
Placements also teach learners soft skills and social values.
“The less tangible parts of the job add the most value: working with clients, building relationships and improving confidence,” says Andy.
Andy and Gordon are involved with Oldham College in other ways too, having run ‘Hackathons’ at the College for around 5 years, and completed mock interviews with learners across the cohort.
Resembling ‘hack days’ in the corporate world, Hackathons begin with a project brief at the start of the week; Andy and Gordon return to College a few days later to watch and judge student presentations.
“There is so much value in interacting with the College,” says Gordon. “If [the College] needs something, invariably if we can help, we will.”
Looking to the future, their aim is ‘to see Inclusive Bytes grow, and for more students to benefit from it,’ as well as continuing to offer students guidance once they start their careers. They are both big advocates of offering T Level placements, and see them as having real social value.
Andy admits that originally, they looked at T Level placements as a big commitment, but they now see that “one day per week is manageable” and are working towards “offering them all day, every day!”
The relationship with the College works so well, because we get to fill in the gaps of the things that students learn academically.
