Drupal Apprenticeship scheme

Over the past few months we've been working on starting an Apprenticeship scheme between some London based companies, I've included a press release below which should explain what we're going to be doing.

We've had a very positive reaction from the Drupal community so far, as well as from many other people, and it would be great to hear people's thoughts on this, and hear from anyone who would like to become involved.

INCUBE8 Drupal Apprenticeship

Authors: Hedley Smith, Agile Collective (http://www.agilecollective.com) & Araceli Camargo, The Cube (http://www.thecubelondon.com) / INCUBE8 (http://www.incube8.org.uk/)

January 2013

There are two major issues we’re faced with today, one as a society: youth unemployment, and one as the Drupal community: a lack of talented Drupal developers. The co-working & innovation space THECUBE & Drupal web development co-operative Agile Collective will be launching a pioneering Apprenticeship scheme to try and help tackle both of these problems, in partnership with several London based organisations utilizing Drupal, focusing around the East London area.

East London has been thriving as an entrepreneurial community for the last 5 years and it seems to be reaching its peak with the advent of Tech City. However great this is, there is an increasing economic and cultural disparity with some of the most disadvantaged young people in the UK next door. With youth unemployment now at an all time high there is a need for more economic equality to create a better future for the area. The INCUBE8 Drupal Apprenticeship is aiming to be part of bridging this economic disparity. We’ve spoke to a number of figures in local authority including Shawne Keck, the economist for Hackney, and they are all in support of a scheme like this. After such positive feedback we will be partnering with a local NGO and applying for government funding for the project.

Our plan is to bring together several Drupal companies to work together on the scheme, these companies will have an input into the planning of the scheme and will work together with the INCUBE8 team to take the apprentices from initial training through to placements within their companies.

The first phase of the scheme will involve a neuroscience based selection process to find the best candidates, from there the apprentices will be put through a one week industry preparation programme which has been run as ‘INCUBE8 Lab’ previously and the group will be narrowed down further. The INCUBE8 lab includes a neuroscience foundation to prepare the candidates for employment, followed by collaborative and professional skill training. Foundation training in web technologies & an introduction to Drupal will then take place and from there the apprentices will be given placements within the host companies and be assigned mentors. They will participate in further training coming back to THECUBE regularly for support & group exercises. The aim of this process if for the apprentices to then go into full time employment within the host companies.

We’re like to hear from London based companies who use Drupal and would be interested in becoming a part of this scheme, and organisations who have an interest in supporting the scheme in anyway. This is an exciting and unique opportunity to be part of a pioneering scheme which will shape the future.

The curriculum materials we’ve been developing will be freely available online and form the basis of a open learning space to encourage and help others wishing to run apprenticeship schemes or use the materials to train. We also hope to use this online space for the apprentices to collaborate, learn together and contribute back to the materials themselves.

This scheme is being planned and organised on a non-profit & voluntary basis.