FAQs

It’s true, there are other companies out there offering to teach you tech skills. But these boot camps are often aimed at graduates or those already at uni. We’re different because our courses are specifically designed to give younger adults – aged 15-19 – a head start.

Taught by industry experts and leading tech entrepreneurs, you’ll study era-defining subjects like coding and data analytics. The main emphasis is on learning through application as you collaborate in small groups during lessons, and spend time working individually on your project to build a professional-standard tech portfolio. During your course you’ll develop sought-after technical skills, while honing more general, personal skills and attributes such as team-working, problem-solving and building a resilient, adaptable mindset.

Skills Gap experiences are for young adults aged 15 to 19. They’re specifically designed for anyone who’s just finished (or is about to finish) their A-levels and wants to spend some time gaining new skills and experiences before moving onto uni or employment.

Hopefully you’ll find what you’re looking for on this site, but if you can’t please drop our friendly team a line at hello@skillsgap.tech.

Our lessons are intensive and designed to cover a lot in a short amount of time. But that doesn’t mean you’ll just be talked at all the time. There’s a strong emphasis on getting stuck in, with practical-based sessions that encourage collaboration and interaction. As well as developing technical capabilities, you’ll also strengthen all-round skills like critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork. Check out How our courses work for more details.

We recognise that teachers can really make or break an experience. That’s why we’ve put a lot of effort into finding the right instructors for each course. We make sure they’re not just experts in their respective fields, but they’re also inspiring people with the ability to share knowledge in an engaging way.

Holiday Courses

These run for either 4.5 or 5 days. We think this is the perfect length to give you a comprehensive understanding of the subject and for you to develop your skills.

Term Courses

We arrange these with your school to fit around your schedule. These usually involve two 90 minute sessions per week throughout the term. This ensures you receive the same comprehensive content delivered in our intensive holiday courses.

Holiday Courses

Our Data Analytics course runs from 10:00 to 16:00 (UK Time) on weekdays except on the Friday where it finishes early at lunchtime.

Term Courses

We schedule with your individual schools the best time for our lessons.

We use the video conferencing platform Zoom. It’s super-easy to use, allows everyone to be on camera and mic at the same time and has a bunch of handy features, like screen-sharing, white boards and breakout ‘rooms’. Your instructor will also record the lesson for future reference.

Alongside Zoom, we use Slack, which lets you send messages, share files and collaborate on projects. Like Zoom, it’s simple to use and allows you to set up different channels for whether you want to talk to one person or everyone in the class. Slack’s also a great way to ask your instructor quick questions and get feedback on your work.

All learning material, links to recorded sessions and any other resources will be archived on Google Classroom for you to access whenever you like. Handy.

Our courses are designed to stretch and challenge you, otherwise what would be the point? That said, our friendly instructors will always give you lots of help and support throughout.

If there’s no way you can make it – you’re ill or your internet goes out, for example – you’ll still be able to access a recording of the session and any material.

You’ll be able to access a recording of the lesson, plus the instructor’s slides for 30 days after the final lesson. You can download the content and refer to in the future if you need it.

Here are a few tips:

Find a comfy, quiet workspace

You’ll find it easier to focus if you have somewhere you can work without being disturbed. You’re going to be in front of a screen for most of the day, so make sure you have a good workstation. There’s plenty of advice online for how to set up your laptop or computer so you don’t get crippling backache by the end of the week!

If you’re struggling to find a quiet spot, we recommend noise-cancelling headphones (also handy for many other situations in life!).

Use a second screen

It’s not essential, but you’ll be flying around between videos, messages, notes, software programs and other resources all day, so it pays to hook up to a second screen such as a tablet, monitor, Chromebook or even a TV.

Be ready!

Lessons will start bang on time, so please make sure you’ve got everything set up and you’re ready to go in plenty of time.

A week before your course starts, your instructor will run a session so you can familiarise yourself with the online learning environment. They’ll check you’ve got all the necessary software and offer tips for helping you get the most out of the online experience.

All our courses are taught online, so you’ll need access to a stable internet connection capable of supporting video conferencing.

We recommend using a wired Ethernet connection with a download speed of at least 10Mbps (preferably 25Mbps) and an upload speed of 5Mbps.

There are lots of free apps and online checkers that let you see your internet speed. The best and simplest thing to do is run a test video call with friends to see how your connection holds up.

The week before the course, your instructor will run a session where everyone will get the chance to work on a few fun activities and get to know each other.

You can apply here.

We’ll then send you a confirmation email within three working days to let you know your place is secured.

Within a few days

We’ll send you a confirmation email within three working days and then email you again with a few things you’ll need to do before your course starts. This will include completing a short Tech CV. Don’t worry, it’s nothing too taxing, just a few questions that will help us make the course content more relevant to you.

Two weeks to go!

We’ll send you details about your instructor, how to install software and how to access the video and messaging platforms. We’ll also invite you to a getting-to-know-you session the week before your course starts.

One week to go!

Meet your instructor and fellow students (and potential future friends) at the getting-to-know-you session. As well as taking part in a few fun activities, your instructor will make sure you’ve got all the right software installed and run through some of the finer details to help you get the most out of the course.

The workshop is specifically designed for students aged 15 to 19 who are looking for a career in finance, and want insight into the specific tech skills required in different roles. It is designed to give you a head start before you go to university or take any other route into the sector.

No. The workshop is designed as an introduction to the finance industry and the various roles, with a specific focus on digital skills.

We use Zoom. It is free, easy, allows everyone to be on camera and mic at the same time, and features intuitive presentation and learning tools, like collaborative white boards and break-out rooms for group work.

You will need a stable internet connection capable of supporting video conferencing. We recommend using a wired ethernet connection with a download speed of at least 10Mbps (preferably 25Mbps) and an upload speed of 5Mbps.

Essential hardware
You will need a PC or Mac (laptop or desktop) which has at least 8GB of RAM and runs Windows 10 or Mac OS 10.11 or later.

Essential software
You will need Zoom. If you have not used it before, you can create a free account and download the app for your phone, tablet or computer.

You will also need Microsoft Excel 2016 or later. Please make sure it is the full version and not the web-based program, which lacks some essential functions.

If you do not have Excel, we recommend you get a free Office 365 licence using your school email address or take a free Office 365 trial (which requires a credit card). You can also get a personal licence for Office for £59 a year / £5.99 a month.

We will send you a Zoom link via email shortly before it starts.

If you have not been able to find out what you need from the information on this page, please email our friendly team at hello@skillsgap.tech.

No. The workshop is designed as an introduction to data analytics and so is suitable for students without any experience.

Essential hardware
You will need a PC or Mac (laptop or desktop – not tablet) which has at least 8GB of RAM and runs Windows 10 or Mac OS 10.11 or later.

Essential software
You will need Zoom. If you have not used it before, you can create a free account and download the app for your phone, tablet or computer.

You will also need the Tableau Desktop trial, which you can download for free here.

(For more detailed instructions details please read the setup guide.)

Essential hardware
You will need a PC or Mac (laptop or desktop) which has at least 8GB of RAM and runs Windows 10 or Mac OS 10.11 or later.

Essential software
You will need Zoom. If you have not used it before, you can create a free account and download the app for your phone, tablet or computer.

No prior experience is required. The workshop has been created with beginners in mind, and is designed to give you an introduction to engineering with a specific focus on AI and machine learning skills.