A one year, paid (Real Living Wage) opportunity to be a part of a Valleys digital revolution! Working with a range of partners and being a part of the Rank Foundation's Time to Shine leadership scheme, this person will be mad about digital technology, serious about coding and potty about programming! The full-time post will be hosted by established Welsh charity, People & Work.

1. Digital Champion – Rhondda
Job Description
Job Title: Digital Champion
Role
Working with People and Work and partners, the role is to develop code clubs and
digital technology opportunities in the Rhondda and Cynon Valleys and to support
those that already exist.
Duties
Scoping
1. To map existing provision (this has been started) and visit each club or group
to confirm that it is running; to find out how they work and what their plans are
for the future (i.e. to explore best practice); to identify any support needs they
may have.
2. To liaise with the local authority and the South Wales Central Consortium
regarding policies and practice of code clubs in Rhondda including identifying
and meeting with key individuals with responsibilities for enacting Welsh
Government policy on getting young people involved with coding.
Developing
3. To work with Cluster Heads and other networking groups in Rhondda and
Cynon to promote code clubs.
4. To approach local schools, colleges, youth groups and voluntary
organisations with a view to supporting and/or setting up code clubs –
particularly focusing on secondary schools and youth facilities (most of what is
currently available targets primary schools).
5. To offer code club taster sessions for school staff and voluntary organisations,
explaining how code clubs might work and the resources available, liaising
with Cardiff University STEM Ambassadors where possible.
6. To pilot new code clubs, working to ensure sustainability (e.g. involving local
staff, volunteers, youth leaders and young people to support them developing
the club beyond the pilot).
Sustainability
7. To research and develop a wide range of code club resources/software (most
of which should be free).
8. To meet and liaise with local university computer science departments
(including Cardiff University with whom contact has been made already) to
map out courses and opportunities (including the taster and introductory
sessions they offer young people).

2. 9. To research funding opportunities for code club development.
Other
10.To attend Stronger Rhondda and other local networks as a way of sharing
opportunities and discovering resources/exploring new possible clubs etc.
11.To work with groups outside the IT/computer science world, offering
opportunities for cross-curricular opportunities/promotion (e.g. developing
apps for a theatre company or a sports team);
12.To meet with local partners regularly to review progress and plan and attend
digital technology events, working with leaders and young people to discover
aspirations and trends.
13.To be a point of contact within the Llechi, Glo a Chefn Gwlad network (Slate,
Coal and Countryside areas project exploring the foundational economy),
exploring the development of the digital technology sector in Wales and its
effect on employment.
Structures
14.To work with People & Work staff at their Treorchy office, supporting the wider
project aims of developing opportunities for young people to flourish in
education, employment and wellbeing in and beyond Rhondda and Cynon.
15.To write reports for People & Work’s Board and for Rank Foundation.
16.Line management will be by People & Work’s Project Manager. This will
include monthly professional supervision.
17.An enhanced DBS check will be required. People & Work will arrange this and
cover the cost.
18.To attend all conferences, training and meetings as required by People &
Work and Rank.
19.To work occasional evenings and weekends as required, recognising that
many young people will be in education, training or employment during the
day (it’s likely that many code clubs will be in lunchtimes or after school).

3. Time to Shine Intern
Job Description – Code Club Developer, Rhondda and Cynon
Salary - Real Living Wage (currently £17,550)
Hours – 37.5 per week
Holidays – 25 plus Bank holidays
Reports to – Projects Manager
Job Description
Code Club Developer for Rhondda and Cynon.
Job Purpose:
To support the development of code clubs across the Valleys.
The project, coordinated by People and Work, has an ambition that every community
in the Rhondda and Cynon Valleys will have a code club and that all young people
with a passion for coding, gaming and IT have the opportunity to develop their skills.
We are looking for a local digital enthusiast with understanding and experience of
computer coding (e.g. C+, Python) to help us work with schools, colleges, community
and voluntary organisations in Rhondda and Cynon to develop code clubs with
young people. The aim is to support individuals and groups to develop their own
sustainable code clubs, encouraging opportunities in education and employment
which exist in South Wales and wider afield. Code clubs also provide an excellent
vehicle to bring together young people who would not normally join clubs and
societies, who may have a very limited social life but who enjoy working with others
who share their passion.
People and Work has been working with partners in business, schools, colleges,
universities and the voluntary sector for the past four years introducing young people

4. to the wide array of opportunities for those with a passion for coding. The local
economy needs coding and computer science skills and there are some FE and HE
courses to help develop the necessary skills. However, there is a lack of supply of
local young people taking up such opportunities. People & Work’s ‘Appening
Rhondda project (an intensive ‘concept to product’ course which delivered 20 mobile
apps between 2015 and 2018) has discovered a considerable number of local young
people who are passionate about coding and digital technology: developing local
code clubs would help such young people to hone their skills and to pass on their
passion. This digital technology project forms part of an area-based approach to
improving outcomes for 14-25 year olds in the Valleys.1
We are also aware that although young people may go into higher education to study
IT, their employment options may be limited locally. The aim of this project is to work
alongside a local IT based business to raise awareness of employment options; and
to provide a local young person with a valuable opportunity to apply IT skills in a way
that will support communities across the Valleys.
Time to Shine
The successful candidate will join the Rank Foundation’s Time to Shine programme2
which will involve attending three national training events with around 25 other young
leaders from across the UK. It is a requirement of the post to attend these events (all
expenses will be paid), which will be:
Residential Conferences – for both the manager and leader – January 2020 and a
review event in June 2020.
There will also be training events with the Welsh network, Llechi, Glo A Chefn Gwlad
(Slate, Coal and Countryside). These will explore with a wide range of partners what
we are learning about developing community leaders in a variety of disciplines and
how this work contributes to the foundational economy.
The leader must also attend the Rank Foundation conference and Showcase event
in late September 2020.
1 www.strongerrhondda.wales
2 http://www.rankfoundation.com/flagship-programmes/time-2-shine/

5. The leader will also be required to provide reports for the Rank Foundation.
General
 To work to a programme agreed with your line manager and the funder including
meeting reporting requirements
 To undertake any training identified and agreed by your line manager
 To undertake tasks as identified by People and Work’s Project Manager or
Director
 To represent People and Work on working groups, planning groups and
committees where appropriate.
Other
 To undertake any additional duties that may be required by the Board
Person Specification: Digital Champion
Essential
Passionate about coding and computer science and the role it can play in education
and employment.
An understanding of coding and programming.
The ability to reflect on, and communicate, the possible meaning of the statistics and
stories being gathered about code clubs to non-specialists.
The confidence to initiate contact and develop working relationships with individuals
in education, voluntary organisations and business.
Good time management
Able to organise their work independently.

6. Desirable
The ability to work in the Welsh language would be an advantage as there will be
work in Welsh medium schools. The intern will work as part of a small and diverse
team of project workers and will need to work unsupervised much of the time. Being
able to drive and having access to a car would be an advantage.
The post holder will have to complete an enhanced DBS (Police check – paid for by
People & Work).
This post will be full-time and based in Treorchy, Rhondda.
Skills
A high level of computing experience and be able to demonstrate a good standard
of:
 numeracy;
 spoken and written English and Welsh;
 communication skills; and
 IT, coding, computer science and social media knowledge.
In addition, it would be helpful to have an understanding and appreciation of social
and economic issues impacting on Wales.