We’re able to provide a number of FREE courses across Chichester College Group, designed to develop a number of high-profile digital skills.

We’re committed to improving and developing digital skills training for people across the Sussex and Brighton & Hove region under a pilot scheme.

Introductory courses are running in January and February.

Our free courses

From January 2023, Crawley College will be offering short courses that provide and introduction to coding for both Python and C# programmes.

Coding can seem like a daunting prospect, and you may think you’ll need a computer science degree to learn code. But every programmer has to start somewhere! This interactive course will enable you to work on exercises, supported by tutors, as you learn to code. No prior knowledge is required.

You will need a desktop or laptop computer with an internet connection to complete the interactive elements of the course.

Find out about our other CODEs courses, offered by other Chichester College Group colleges by visiting the Chigroup website:

Chigroup website

Frequently Asked Questions

How are the courses delivered?
Good question! The courses are generally blended, that means a mix of learning online and in the classroom. This does vary depending on the course, but you’ll find more information about this on individual course pages.

Are the courses really free?
Yes! Our CODEs courses are free to all students, aged 19+ and are fully funded through the Skills Development fund.

Can I study more than one course at a time?
We would recommend completing one course before starting another, but there’s no limit how many you study. We’d also encourage you to start with the introduction course, before progressing onto the intermediate course.

Can I speak to someone to find out more?
Absolutely! Please email Daniel Creed - dcreed@crawley.ac.uk

About the project

The Sussex Local Skills Improvement Plan identified a shortage of digital skills in the region, with employers highlighting this as critical to their businesses’ successful futures.

As a response to this, Chichester College Group has set up Centres of Digital Excellence (CODEs) across five of its colleges including Crawley College.

The project will provide blended training, a mix of online and face-to-face courses, in the key digital shortage areas for thousands of students over the next three years as well as equip tomorrow’s workforce with the digital skills required by employers.

There will be a particular focus on industry specific skills, including agriculture, business, care, construction, horticulture and IT industries. As part of this, dedicated learning facilities will be set up – each with a dedicated specialism:

• Brighton MET – Virtual Reality
• Brinsbury – Agriculture and Animal Care
• Chichester – Esports and Games Development
• Crawley – Coding
• Northbrook – Cyber Security