Ahead of its twentieth birthday, Firebrand Training celebrates growing diversity in IT by sharing inspiring stories of apprentices and trainers

Since 2001, the number of women enrolled on the company’s IT training programmes has increased almost tenfold

As part of its twentieth birthday celebrations this year, Firebrand Training, the global provider of accelerated training in digital skills, is shining a light on the growth of diversity within the sector since it launched in 2001 by sharing inspirational stories of some of its learners and trainers in a bid to encourage more people from diverse backgrounds (including individuals of all genders, ethnicities and with physical and neuro disabilities) to enter the sector. It is also releasing data that since 2001, the number of women enrolled on its IT programmes has increased by 868 percent.

Some of the inspiring stories Firebrand is showcasing include:

Charu Gera, Data Analyst Apprentice at Avanade, made a career change from tutoring after embarking on a Data Analyst Apprenticeship. She was spurred on by her own desire to keep growing professionally, and keen to prove to her former students that tech was a viable career pathway for women after seeing so many of her female students have such debilitating beliefs about their ability to do well in STEM subjects. With a solid foundation in data analytics, Charu has been able to progress her career in a field that she feels passionate about. 

Shaddy Bourazza is currently an apprentice Software Developer at TFL. While Shaddy has always had an interest in learning about the latest technology, he wasn’t sure whether he could make a career out of it. Shaddy was also concerned about the considerable financial burden of pursuing a Master’s Degree  but an Apprenticeship in Software Development has meant that he can pick up the skills he needed to thrive in the sector, without any debt worries as well as earning a salary.  

Amy Groves, a Networks Engineer at Lloyds Banking Group, never saw tech as a career path for her until she joined Lloyds Banking Group and saw the vast array of opportunities in tech that are on offer. Now a passionate advocate for supporting other women in tech, Amy credits Firebrand Training for helping her to advance her knowledge and supercharge her career progression.

Cindy Haast is a trainer at Firebrand Training having fallen into tech by accident. After 20 years of working in mid to senior Marketing, Sales, and Business Development positions, she realised that she enjoyed the tech side the most, especially implementing new CRM tools and managing the sales process. Cindy is now a Lead Functional Consultant which sees her focus on Dynamics 365 Sales, Marketing and Customer Service solutions.