Teaching Coding, Tech Skills Gaps, Getting Investment and Favourite Apps: Ben Atha, The Developer Academy

Ben Atha founded The Developer Academy after realising other routes to getting a role as a developer exclude some people.In today's radio show Ben covered:- What do we mean by "coding" and what work is open to coders who have learned CSS, Python, PHP, C# or other languages?- Why Ben learned to become a developer himself.- The crucial importance - and demand from the industry - of soft skills.- Why you don't have to get a computer science degree - or attend a £6000 bootcamp - to land a developer job.-  How The Developer Academy's model, fusing flexible online learning with face-to-face meetings, works around people's existing commitments.- Ben's observations on diversity and equal opportunities in the tech industry.- The Sheffield tech scene: is there a skills shortages of coders and data scientists? And which languages are most in demand now?- What about the future? How will AI affect the tech industry?- Why Ben's business is located in Kollider, which alongside co-working, office and incubation space, has an investment fund - and has invested in The Developer Academy.- How to choose an investor and why Ben accepted a £5000 investment in return for a 15% stake in his business.- The value of a great business advisor who ripped Ben's original business plan apart (but is now an investor in the business).- The free project management and communication apps Ben finds most valuable to run the business, saving huge amounts of time.The show is crammed with tech and business insights from Ben - enjoy it!