The London tech scene has rapidly expanded over recent years. Google made a splash with two high profile UK acquisitions — the AI startup DeepMind in 2014 and audio tech startup Redux in 2018 — and London is home to over a dozen “unicorn” startups worth at least $1 billion. It’s a really interesting and exciting place for people, startups, and businesses to come to work and expand to, given its diverse population and welcoming nature to adopt new technologies and habits.
Industries and people have to adapt and become more agile. Software development, and tech in general, is at the forefront of redefining old processes and building foundations for future growth. With that, comes a demand for programmers and coders in London and places where you can learn to code. Fortunately, you’ve already started to do some research for yourself, which means you’re ready to shape the future of London’s tech scene!
Take the quiz: What Coding Course Is Right For Me?
If you’re looking to dip your toe into the world of coding, it might be useful to try a few free introduction courses or meetups to understand why you want to learn code and what you want the outcome to be. Here are just a few places to learn how to code for free in London.
Skills Matter
Skills Matter is not a group or a course. However, is probably the only location in London where you can find something to satisfy any tech need or to be inspired by what tech can do in the world. It’s a building packed with multiple exciting events, talks, and workshops occurring daily and organized by a number of different smaller groups.
CodeBar
CodeBar’s mission is to enable underrepresented people to learn programming in a safe, collaborative environment and expand their career opportunities. They run regular workshops that cater to all different levels of experience. Even better, they collaborate with a range of tech companies, including Google, Moo, and Shazam, who provide talks and workshops at their respective headquarters!
Women Who Code
Women Who Code empowers women to enter tech through a thriving community and regular events. Meetups include guest speakers, informational discussions, and workshops.
Lnug – London Node.js
LNUG is London’s longest-running Node.js Meetup and hosts monthly events. LNUG events feature speakers around the world and a robust community for anyone curious about Node.js.
Flatiron School
New to the London scene, Flatiron School is here to offer transformative education in our new international campus located in WeWork Finsbury Pavement. We host numerous Meetups where you can learn how to code for free in London. From panel discussions to diversity initiatives to open houses and workshops with our world-class instructors, we have everything you need to get started in the world of code. Flatiron School also hosts multiple courses that will give you the skills and support to start your tech career.
Our Software Engineering Immersive is certainly rigorous, but you will reap the rewards in just 15 weeks to become employment ready!
