career change at 30
For partners
The tech talent pipeline you've been missing
Junior hiring is a strategy. CYF developers who grow with your company are the ones who stay and advance to intermediate within six months.
01
Work-ready from day one
Trained on real tools — GitHub, Agile, and real codebases. Better prepared than bootcamp alternatives, at a fraction of the cost.
02
Deeply diverse talent
CYF developers come from backgrounds underrepresented in tech — bringing fresh perspectives, resilience, and a drive to prove themselves.
03
Faster growth. Better retention.
Our developers consistently advance to intermediate within six months. Companies report stronger loyalty and faster time-to- value than typical junior hires.
Our partners
"It's by far the best success rate we've had for Internal Products with any early career talent partner, and we definitely wouldn't be the team we are today if it weren't for CYF.."
Great places where CodeYourFuture developers work.
For trainees
Start your tech career
Whether you become a Software Developer, Data Analyst, Business Analyst, or IT Professional — you start here.
Our courses, step by step
Five courses, one after the other. Everyone starts with Intro to Digital, and finishing a course opens the next one. You cannot skip a course, but you can finish some faster. Pick a course to learn more.
Explore
Intro to Digital 20–40 hours
Online · self-pacedMeet the world of tech. Perfect for complete beginners: study online at your own pace, with optional workshops in person on Saturdays and online on Wednesday evenings.
When it runs
Intro to Digital runs in February, April, June, September and November, from the 1st to the 28th of the month, so the earlier you join, the more time you have. If you can’t complete all the steps by the 28th, you can try again when it reopens.
New to computers?
Not confident with a phone or laptop yet?
Try our free Basic Online Skills course.
You will
- Learn how to use AI responsibly to learn
- Evaluate data in spreadsheets
- Build and deploy your first websites
Next step
To join Intro to Programming, we check that you:
- are over 18
- are on a low income (under 60% of your region’s median income, after housing costs and taxes)
- live within 90 minutes by public transport of Birmingham, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Sheffield or Cape Town
You also take the Duolingo English Test (free, B2 level).
Fundamentals
Intro to Programming 13 weeks
Hybrid · Saturday class 10am–5pm + 20h courseworkProgramming with JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Work in a team to deliver working software with tests. 4 modules of 3 sprints each.
Not going further? Many graduates of this course find jobs as Business Analysts, IT Support, Testers or Front-end developers.
By the end you can
- Predict and explain how a program runs
- Turn business requirements into test cases
- Design applications from user stories
- Work with datasets and check accessibility
- Use GitHub and pull requests
Support
We cover transport, lunch and childcare on class days, and you can borrow a laptop.
Assess
Checkpoint 3 weeks
Hybrid · Saturday class + courseworkIn teams and on your own, build working software with tests, and explain your work to others. It decides who joins the Software Development Course. To join, pass a coding test.
You will build
- Two group projects and one solo project
- Each one complete, with tests
- Code you understand well enough to explain
We look at
- Working in a team to build software with tests
- Writing simple code on your own
- Explaining your work clearly in English
Theory & practice
Software Development Course 12 weeks
Hybrid · Saturday class + courseworkA secure grounding in software: binary, logic, systems and problem solving, with the soft skills you need to work as a software engineer.
What employers value
- Learning on your own: you pick up new things quickly and grow fast
- Working with legacy code: you are at ease jumping into existing systems
- Weighing trade-offs: you compare options instead of looking for one best way
- Complexity: you use big-O to compare how algorithms perform as input grows
- Mentored by people who do this work every day
Skills employers want
Teamwork, communication, problem-solving, adaptability and continuous learning.
Specialist Tracks
Optional 6-week courses: demand-led specialisation towards junior and mid roles, such as Cloud, Containers, Java or SQL. See all tracks
Real product
Launch 5 weeks
Online · Saturday classes 10am–5pmIn a cross-functional Agile team, develop and deliver a real product, then show it at a public Demo Day.
You will
- Choose a product and plan it with your team
- Build it in five one-week sprints
- Demo it in public
- Get an employability review
The goal
Being ready for a job: you leave with a real product you built in a team.
Employment support
About 5 months to an entry-level role · 9–10 months to engineeringWe cannot promise a job, but around 70% of Software Development Course graduates find one in tech. We work with hiring partners and keep supporting you until you get there.
How we help
- A 1:1 career mentor
- CV, cover letter, LinkedIn and portfolio reviews
- Mock interviews
- Job search sessions with other graduates
- Introductions to hiring partners
See all courses and the full curriculum (opens in a new tab)
From our graduates
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From our blog.
News, insights, and stories from Code Your Future — and the people changing their lives through it.
Ready to build a team that stays?
Partner with CYF to access trained, work-ready tech talent — or start your own journey into tech today.
Awards & Recognitions
Festival of Learning, Learning with Tech, 2024
WSIS Champion, E-employment, 2024
CYF is a verified UN Digital Public Good, 2024
CYF curriculum featured on Github for Good.
WMCA Adult Learning Awards, 2023
Birmingham Tech Week Diversity Champion, 2023
Makers Women In Software Awards, 2023
WMCA Adult Learning Awards, 2023
Global Tech Awards, 2023
Black Tech Achievement Awards 2022 (finalist)
Women in Tech Awards, 2020 (finalist)
Global Good Awards, 2020
Best Education, 2020
Partner, 2020
Partner, 2018
Finalist, 2018.