How Met police officer changed his life with EyUp Coding Academy

A decade ago, Damon Gray was working for the Metropolitan Police but when he wanted a career change, award-winning Yorkshire tech skills academy EyUp was able to help.
Damon attended an EyUp Coding Academy taster session with one of the trainers and felt an immediate connection with the courseDamon attended an EyUp Coding Academy taster session with one of the trainers and felt an immediate connection with the course
Damon attended an EyUp Coding Academy taster session with one of the trainers and felt an immediate connection with the course

Working to maintain law and order in the capital was character-building stuff but after seven years in the Met, Damon decided it was time for a change.

Following spells “fixing things to walls” for his family’s national installation firm and carrying out quality and compliance for a large outsourcing group in Sheffield, Damon wanted greater opportunities for his long-term progression. He had enjoyed computing at school but never really considered it as a career, until a friend recommended EyUp.

Job satisfaction

Damon attended an EyUp Coding Academy taster session with one of the trainers and felt an immediate connection with the course. It was exactly what he had been looking for. He signed up for the first cohort, graduated four months later and is now working as the first in-house web developer at a successful building products company with a growing e-commerce business.

Damon said: “EyUp was intense but in a good way! It was 9am -5pm five days a week and crammed in as much language knowledge as possible during that time. We were working in a small group and it was very hands-on. It taught me how to break down problems, find solutions and what good code and bad code look like.

“I love my new job. My employer understood I was coming fresh from education and wanted someone who could grow with the company. There are lots of opportunities for me here and the team is very supportive. If anyone is considering a career in the software industry, I would say that EyUp is definitely worth it.”

Eight new places and bursary scheme

EyUp is recruiting for its third cohort to start in September 2022. Eight places are available, including two places funded by a bursary scheme for people from disadvantaged backgrounds or who are under-represented in the tech sector.

EyUp offers a money-back pledge for any graduate who completes the course and fails to land a tech job within six months. Every graduate from the first cohort has found work.

The course revolves around learning weeks and project weeks. Students learn how to code and practice how to solve problems, then tackle projects as part of a scrum team. The team goes through the industry process of requirements, estimation, carrying out the work, tracking burn-down charts, code reviews and testing, then demoing the customer product.

Damon, aged 33, values the experience he gained before entering the software industry. In his Met staff role, he policed the London Olympics and political summits, as well as helping the Crown Prosecution Service to build cases against criminals. The job developed his confidence, interpersonal skills and problem-solving abilities but ultimately he felt limited by his options. In contrast, the software industry is vast and every day is different.

The best time for careers in tech

EyUp was founded by David Richards, the co-founder, CEO and chairman of data activation platform company WANdisco plc. He said: “We believe that only 50 per cent of being a software engineer is about writing code. The rest is about communication, time management and soft skills. Some of our best hires are ex’s – an ex-chef, ex-social worker and an ex-charge nurse – and they are all top-notch software engineers.

“There has never been a better time to consider careers in tech and we are delighted that people like Damon are bringing their considerable skills and experience to the software industry, which will only benefit as a result.”

Get in touch

To apply for an EyUp course or find out more, please visit www.eyup.com