From unemployment to cracking the code to digital excellence

Years after leaving college, 23-three-year old Ryan Jones was unemployed and confused about what he wanted to do in life. But that was before he joined the Codez Academy.

Originally from Cardiff, he spent more than two years filling out job applications and attending job interviews. However, he failed to get noticed and always faced negative feedback.

Disheartened and lacking direction, Ryan felt like giving up. He said: “Unemployment in the local area is a big problem, especially for young people.  It’s soul destroying to keep getting knocked back and not having the opportunity to try to carve a career and prove yourself.

“The lack of opportunities and host of unsuccessful applications left me really unsure as to what career path to take as it really made me doubt myself, leaving me feel like I was not good enough at anything.”

While looking over his options again, Ryan came across a coding course offered by Codez Academy and the Princes Trust. He applied for the course and was successful. It helped him gain new skills in the hope of increasing his chances of gaining employment.

According to statistics, one in ten adults have never used the internet, meaning they end up missing out on excellent job opportunities. And the government claims that in twenty years, 90 per cent of all jobs will require at least some digital skills.

During the course, Ryan learnt HTML, CSS and other digital skills. A month after completion, he secured full-time job Sonix Software. In his role as a developer, he works on coding and robotics projects for a variety of clients.

Ryan continued: “It was such a relief to finally get a job after searching for so long, especially in an industry that I had never previously considered. I never thought I’d end up doing this but I really love the job I’m in now and I’m so grateful to be where I am.

“As well as providing support and encouragement during the learning process, the help available after the course ended couldn’t have been better. Dean and the Codez team regularly notified me with information about different opportunities emerging in the industry, as they were keen to help me take my next step. Essentially, this is what helped me into the job role I’m in today.”

Not only has Ryan got onto the career ladder, but he’s also seen an improvement in his self-confidence. After completing a coding project, he had to present his results to an audience of techies.

Dean Jenkins, founder of Codez Academy, said: “Ryan is a great success story for us.  Not only has he developed skills that were initially nurtured through our courses but he now has a fantastic job in the tech industry, which is exactly what we want our students to achieve.

“We’re very proud of all of our students and their achievements and we will always go above and beyond to make their career aspirations a reality.

“Lack of digital skills and unemployment is still a concern in Wales and therefore we want to educate and nurture individuals of all ages so that they can gain new abilities and take on new challenges.”