Despite 2020 being a challenging year like no other, Northcoders - the coding school for the North – is ending on a high with the launch of a major new podcast series and a full rebrand.
The new podcast series is called Tech Talks and will feature some of the region and tech sector’s most high-profile names.
The first interviewees are: Liam Bateman, CTO of Silverchip and creator of the freeschoolmeals app which was inspired by Marcus Rashford’s campaign, who talks about his career, founding Silverchip and how he came to build and deliver freeschoolmeals; chartered psychologist and author of "Why Do I Feel Like an Imposter?" Dr Sandi Mann, who discusses imposter syndrome, how it affects our daily lives and how we can address the challenges we all face; and Jeff Watkins - chief engineer at AND digital - who will be sharing his opinions on tech in the North West. New talks will be added on a monthly basis.
Each talk, which will be between 30 minutes and an hour, is aimed at anyone working in or wanting to work in the tech sector. The ultimate aim is to share insights, expert analysis and to spark debate and thinking. The podcasts are available on all major streaming platforms and on Northcoders’ website with video versions also on the website and YouTube.
Amy Wild – Chief Commercial Officer at Northcoders – said: “Since we opened our doors, Northcoders has helped over 600 people switch careers and move into an industry that’s at the forefront of transforming the way we live and do business. We’ve done this through education, with the launch of NC Tech Talks we hope to add even more value by asking business leaders to share the own unique perspectives on life and work. We really want this series to inspire and motivate everyone interested or involved in the tech community."
As well as Tech Talks, Northcoders has also launched a full rebrand which was created in collaboration between Glorious Creative (brand), Parallax (web design, UX) and Breaks Agency (web development).
The rebrand has been based on three principal pillars: Purpose, Northcoders’ purpose is to help passionate people develop exceptional technology; Vision, Northcoders’ vision is to be at the heart of a thriving and diverse digital community; and Mission, Northcoders is on a mission to drive and diversify the digital ecosystem.
The company’s core values of putting people first, striving for excellence, championing inclusion, and evolution and adaptation have also been central to its creation.
The project has seen a complete overhaul of Northcoders’ visual representation and includes a new logo, website and the full suite of marketing materials.
Chris Hill – CEO at Northcoders – said: "As a business, we have evolved during this year and thanks to fantastic team effort we are ready to look towards a bold and bright new future. Over the past year, we have changed and grown, and we wanted our brand to change with us, so it truly represents our future. It's also about focussing on the products that a post-COVID world needs and what the industry tells us it now wants, including remote coding bootcamps and remote upskilling programmes."
Chris added: "What we haven't and won't change are our values which make us who we are. They saturate through everything we do and form our public commitment to doing what's right, even when what's right isn't always easy."
Over the past two years, Northcoders has been selected as one of the country's brightest tech stars in Creative England's CE50 list and was named Business of the Year at the 15th Annual Chamber Business Awards. The firm also relocated its Manchester campus to a new 10,000 sq. ft space at Manchester Technology Centre and launched a Deferred Payment Schemeand Gender Diversity Fund.