Gayle’s story: A ‘Can Do’ Attitude in a Path to Success

Portrait of Gayle

Before joining CodeYourFuture (CYF), Gayle found herself in a job with no room for growth or development. But she had a clear goal in mind when she began her journey with CYF: “I wanted to acquire new skills and give myself a chance to find better jobs and improve the quality of life for me and my family.” Initially, Gayle … Read More

Tersia’s Journey: Curiosity and Perseverance Fuel a Career Change

Portrait of Tersia

  Tersia’s path to a career in tech is a story of perseverance and growth. “About 12 years back, I knew very little of how to use a computer.”, she says. “There was a time I was unemployed and in my community there were little workshops for you to use a computer, get more comfortable with it, and in that … Read More

Junita’s story: from zero coding experience to thriving IT career

Junita works in IT, but this wasn’t always the case. After the Covid-19 pandemic, she was raising her one-year-old daughter full-time, having previously worked in the hospitality sector, and was searching for something which could provide the flexibility she sorely needed. “After having my daughter, I wanted to have a flexible job which would provide me with a balance between … Read More

Negin’s story: From Retail to Tech

Photo of Negin at an event with the CYF community

  Negin’s path to tech wasn’t straightforward. As a former journalist in her home country, she arrived in the UK hoping to find rewarding work. However, her initial plans didn’t quite work out as expected. She found herself working in retail – a job that was meant to be temporary but stretched into years. Negin felt stuck in her retail … Read More

Jemima’s volunteer story: finding meaning through teaching

Photo of Jemima and a trainee

In 2021, Jemima Villanueva realised she was craving something more meaningful in her life, so she decided to join CodeYourFuture as a volunteer. “The pandemic really widened the gap between the rich and the poor, and those whose lives got worse vs. those whose lives got better. The need to address that disparity felt particularly acute for me then.” Professional … Read More

How CodeYourFuture Prepares Graduates to Thrive in Today’s Tech Industry

Photo of the North West CodeYourFuture cohort at graduation.

  In late 2023, CodeYourFuture (CYF) faced a harsh reality. The job market for junior developers had shrunk dramatically. By early 2024, things hadn’t improved. Despite our track record of training developers to high standards, we had to act. We made the tough choice to delay classes. And we didn’t stop there. We completely redesigned our program. We tapped into … Read More

Jonathan’s story: From Finance to Coding Mentor

Photo of Jonathan Zhengn with a trainee

Despite having a rewarding career as a programmer in finance, Jonation knew something was missing,  He felt a pull to give back to society and develop himself further. “I wanted to atone for my hedge fund sins… and also expand my horizons!” he says with a smile.  His search for meaningful work led Jonathan to CodeYourFuture (CYF), where he now … Read More

Anthony’s story: Aspiring Developer to Tech Professional

Image of Anthony Mogotlane

Do you have a dream but not the support to make it a reality? That was Anthony at the start of his journey to become a software developer.  Living in Cape Town, he had a clear aim but lacked the funds to pursue further studies. “I was seeking a learning opportunity in software development. After carefully considering my next career … Read More

Tourist > Refugee > Developer: Natalie’s Story

Photo of Natalie

Natalie’s world imploded while she was travelling through the UK. A tourist in one moment, a refugee the next, she was caught off guard by the full-scale invasion of her homeland, leading to a devastating war.  “After two months of staying in temporary Airbnbs while glued to the news and supporting loved ones back home – I realised it was … Read More

Chandré’s Story: A Winding Road To Success

Photo of Chandré (L) and a friend

  The path to a fulfilling career doesn’t always follow a straight line. For Chandré, it was a winding road – but one that led her to discover her true passion and unlock her potential with the help of CodeYourFuture (CYF). Before joining CYF, Chandré had studied IT and development but found herself stuck in a soul-crushing IT support role … Read More