Employer-led training firm, TechSkills, has announced an extension of its Tech Industry Gold accreditation to help tackle the tech industry’s digital skills shortage. 

The training body is a subsidiary of lobby group techUK and its Gold certificates acknowledge intensive digital training programmes that offer «high-quality» pathways into the digital industry. 

The credentials make it easy for employers to understand the skillsets of individuals and match them to job vacancies, according to TechSkills.

Learners themselves can choose Tech Industry Gold accredited programmes and be confident in the relevance of their training for their next career move. It includes an award (Tech Industry Gold Digital Credentials) which proves job-ready skills in a form that is easy to understand and portable across companies, sectors and geographies.

«As the chair of the Tech Industry Gold Steering Group, and on behalf of the TechSkills Employer Board, I am delighted with the extension of Tech Industry Gold accreditation into intensive training programmes,» said Colin Bannister, VP of solution engineering at VMware EMEA.  

«This will make it easier for individuals to choose high-quality pathways into tech, and Tech Industry Gold Credentials will make it easier to secure employment and progress careers. I believe this will make a real contribution to strengthening the talent pipeline and helping individuals realise their potential in our fast-growing digital economy.»

Professional services organisation FDM Group is the first company to achieve ‘Training Programme accreditation’. The company’s Business Analysis training programme has been recognised for its quality and relevance in preparing learners for employment in entry level Business Analysis roles.

«We are very proud to join the Tech Industry Gold community as the first company to achieve industry accreditation for training programmes,» said Rod Flavell, CEO, FDM Group.

«Our people come from all walks of life and all backgrounds, and we want to give each person the best possible start to their career. Ensuring our programmes are independently reviewed and approved helps us to continually deliver the very highest standards of training, focused on job readiness for our employees and value for our clients. 

«These are exciting times for FDM Group. We have big ambitions to increase our new hires this year and help build the tech careers for a whole new generation of candidates.»