'Increasingly important if NI is to ride the waves of change': Belfast firms launch AI bootcamp to help graduates land software jobs
A new initiative will connect early talent with employers seeking AI-ready software skills across Northern Ireland
Software NI and Workplus have launched a new AI bootcamp aimed at helping software students and graduates secure jobs while giving Northern Ireland employers access to emerging talent with artificial intelligence skills.
The initiative will provide intensive training for 50 current or recent software students, with a focus on connecting participants to paid software roles with businesses across Northern Ireland, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Delivered through the partners’ Software for All project and part-funded by the TechLocal programme, the two-week bootcamp will take place in January 2027.
The programme has been developed in response to growing demand for skills as AI changes how software is developed and deployed, alongside the challenges faced by many students and graduates in securing their first industry opportunity.
It will particularly target those from software-related degree courses who may have missed out on placement or graduate opportunities, providing an alternative route into employment.
Neil Hutcheson, chief executive of Software NI, said the initiative would help prepare emerging talent for changes across the technology sector.
“AI is moving fast, bringing both uncertainty and opportunity across the market. In addition to equipping students with the latest AI development techniques, we aim to hone the evergreen soft skill traits that have always been important across industry,” he said.
“Building on the excellent work of our university and college partners, we believe these kinds of bootcamps will become increasingly important if NI is to ride the waves of change.”
Richard Kirk, chief executive of Workplus, said the programme was designed to connect employers with talented candidates they might otherwise overlook.
“This project is about equipping and connecting early talent directly with employers, with a specific focus on SMEs,” he said.
“The measure of success for this project isn't simply how many people complete the bootcamp. It is whether we can help create new opportunities and give employers access to talented people they might otherwise have missed.”
The programme will include a dedicated recruitment campaign, candidate assessment and selection, and training shaped by employers’ needs, followed by opportunities to apply for roles with participating businesses.
Employers across Northern Ireland’s software industry and other sectors are being encouraged to get involved by identifying potential vacancies and helping shape the skills covered by the training.
Organisers aim to help participants move into paid AI-related software roles after the bootcamp, or when final-year students complete their studies in 2027. The initiative will also test a model that could be expanded to meet future AI skills and recruitment needs.
The project is part-funded by TechLocal, part of the UK Government’s TechFirst technology skills programme.
Employers can find out more at campaigns.workplus.app/ai-bootcamp-employers.
Students and graduates can apply at campaigns.workplus.app/ai-bootcamp-individual.