Our Skills Bootcamps in Electech (Electronics)

What is a Skills Bootcamp?

Our 12 week intensive “Bootcamp” format programmes combines online learning, physical lab-based workshops and guided tuition supported by industry experts and tutors to help quickly develop new skills. The bootcamp gives participants a real feel for potential careers in the electech/electronics industry and helps them start to develop the specialist expertise needed. Tech Lancaster was created by industry experts with the aim of helping more people get lifelong careers in the industry, and helping reduce the UK skills shortage in our crucial sector. Our proven innovative bootcamps have already made a huge difference to a number of previous participants and employers.

Do I Qualify and What does it Cost?

There is no-cost for our Skills Bootcamps as they are funded by UK Government as part of its Skills for Life programme.

They are open to all ages from 19 and over (for both employed and unemployed persons), and require no pre-existing experience or specific qualifications. We want to provide an accessible route to careers in the electronics industry which are potentially out of reach to many. All that is required is a practical can-do attitude and the willingness to learn, although some previous technical experience is beneficial. Our Skills Bootcamps are also suitable for students nearing completion of their learning, complementing traditional pathways such as apprenticeships, college or university courses many of which are currently are missing some elements of essential learning specific to our sector.

On completing the free training course, our participants will be skill-ready for employment opportunities such as electronics production operatives, electronics technicians, and potentially design engineers and embedded engineers. Those who successfully complete our Skills Bootcamps are also fast-tracked to an interview with a regional electronics/electech employer.

A New Way to Learn Skills

First tested during the COVID19 pandemic, our “blended” learning approach proved particularly successful in helping people find new opportunities in a way which best works for them.

Our self-paced online and in-person workshop based learning is particularly well suited to those who need flexible learning to suit their circumstances, such as career changers, career returners and those with other responsibilities, as they benefit from the ability to undertake much of the learning at a time and location that suits them.

We believe our bootcamps really demonstrate an innovative way to learn and we still lead the way nationally in electronics/electech bootcamps. Our initial pilot project in was one of fourteen to receive funding from a £3 million joint venture between UK Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership (LDSP). The Fast Track Digital Workforce Fund was set up to address locally identified digital skills gaps and was the first of its kind in the UK – a pilot for UK Government Lifetime Skills Guarantee “Bootcamps”.

How will the course help me to start or further a career in electronics?

Tech Lancaster has developed an intensive 12 week Electronic Skills Programme, using expert knowledge and industry insights. This means that you not only will gain the most up-to-date learning, but most importantly this will be highly relevant to today’s industry needs. One of the big difficulties that many employers face is that traditional learning doesn’t include some very important know-how – our industry expert founders created Tech Lancaster to try and solve this problem – and we are succeeding !

No previous experience is necessary apart from a good practical aptitude and a willingness to learn. The course is designed to build on existing experience you may have in related or unrelated work, equipping you with industry specific skills that will make you work ready for a role in the rapidly growing electronics sector.

The electech sector is diverse, including companies designing and manufacturing technology for industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy, I.T and telecommunications, and our bootcamp will give participants excellent prospects for new careers in many of these areas.

Will I get a Qualification?

Those who complete the programme will gain an internationally recognised IPC qualification and a Tech Lancaster Skills Bootcamp certificate which is a recognised level 3 qualification and will count as “prior learning” towards any future entry requirements for other courses or apprenticeships.  Our Skills Bootcamps are regulated by UK Government and your Skills Bootcamp participation and qualification will be recorded on a national learning record visible to all future learning providers and educational establishments. 

As participants gain confidence and complete learning they are also awarded globally recognised electronics industry certifications as well as a level 3 Skills Bootcamp qualification recognised as formal learning in the UK and counts are “prior learning” if applying for related advanced qualifications.

What Will I learn ?

Our Skills Bootcamps are designed for maximum impact and intensive learning over the 12 week period. It is not a replacement for a formal learning, but allows participants to “hit the ground running” in a new job where pre-existing technical aptitude exist, or allow for better decision making to be made around future formal learning, such as an apprenticeship or degree apprenticeships in electronics and electech. Our core course modules include:

General Electronics and Electech – help develop a theoretical and practical understanding of electronics and electech through online learning and practical workshops including understanding of the industry, job types, electronics fundamentals, use cases/applications, components, drawings/schematics, tools/test equipment, anti-static precautions, and health and safety. More advanced modules include further circuit theory, fault finding, simulation, Arduino technology, component specifications and a variety of other useful skills. In the lab/workshops you undertake IPC soldering and rework training, breadboarding, Arduino prototyping and get a real feel for the knowledge you have gained.

Learn as an Individual

We also treat everyone as individuals with different aspirations, needs and abilities. Where possible, we will give extra support on a 1-to-1 basis via our support team, tutors and industry representatives to try and achieve the best outcome for a learner. This could be from helping those with special education needs (SEN) overcome barriers to learning, to helping other participants stretch their abilities into more complex learning areas to help them get the most from the programme. This makes the course suitable for everyone from new entrants to the industry to helping fill in knowledge gaps for those who may already have completed education – including at degree level !