What is Open Source Community Skills – OSCS
OSCS is the OpenUK-led skills program designed to increase UK-wide contribution to open source software; building a talent pool with visible CVs from their contributions who will be enabled in the global open source job sector. This has the potential to create jobs and inject funds into rural, as well as urban, areas of the UK and build a pool of skills in deep tech at the most innovative levels of software development. The program also supports in sustaining open source projects.
State of Open: The UK in 2023 Phase Three “Skills or Bust” Documentary
The documentary was launched in November 2023.
Who will OSCS engage:
- Individuals who have been taught to code, but who are not aware of how to contribute to open source software as Potential Contributors
- Code Schools and Boot Camps who have talent pools suitable for this programme
- Open source contributors from the UK-wide community already identified by OpenUK as Champions
- Open Source projects in need of, or willing to, take new contributions and which utilise selected languages with commercial adoption
- Providers of spaces for Champions to coach Potential Contributors across the UK; for example Banks with initiates such as Barclay’s Eagles or Hub providers to ensure cross UK reach
- Job Board providers to enable access to a streamlined resourcing of roles available in open source for UK based contributors
Who will deliver OSCS
- OpenUK’s Community Skill Director will hold overall oversight, reporting to the CEO and supported by OpenUK staff, Chris Howard will join in this role September 24.
- OpenUK community will support to validate aspects of project, build influence and awareness across the UK and open source community
- Open source community of collaborators as Champions – pool already identified
- Code School Partner(s)
To engage in this contact mailto:admin@openuk.uk
Potential Benefits
- Individuals:
- Learn to participate in open source software projects
- Hone skills through contribution which would otherwise only do if employed
- Engage through contribution with the open source software community
- Create personal opportunity to become more involved in those communities
- Build a living CV through contributions and community participation
- Access global employment opportunities thanks to contribution to specific projects and the visibility of that living CV to key stakeholders
- Open Source Software Projects and Communities (including Champions):
- Improved project and community health through increased contributors and contributions helping drive sustainability
- Younger contributors to support “grey hairs” and sustain project lifespan
- Increased committer and maintainer base
- Improved community metrics including diversity of contributors
- Reduced pressure on existing community and contributor fatigue
- Increased adoption across enterprise employing community effort
- UK Tech Sector
- Increased talent pool
- More individuals with specific deep tech skills
- Increased global collaboration on the most cutting edge and relevant software
- Improved digital standing and reputation as a collaborator innovator
- Reduction in skilled talent attrition and migration
- Increased opportunity for start-ups with better potential to scale from international learning and access to global communities
How will it be delivered
- Code School teaching module and additional language skills training as necessary
- Code School grads will participate as Potential Contributors
- OpenUK will engage UK open source software community as Champions
- OpenUK will engage open source software projects
- Delivered across both UK rural and urban areas
Why OpenUK
OpenUK is the UK’s organisation for the business of Open Technology, convening the UK’s software, hardware, data, AI and standard communities in openness. Its purpose is UK leadership and global collaboration in Open Technology. It is uniquely placed globally in the level of data it holds about geographic contribution to open source software. For UK-based contributions it analyses this on a quarterly basis and will update this in November in its annual Skills report. Its Learning Advisory Board of UK and international experts in skills development will support this program.