Accelerator · 3 weeks · Full-time

Digital Accelerator

3-week intensive digital marketing accelerator. Mon–Thu full-time. £2,600 funded for UK adults 19+. Get equipped with an essential tool kit of digital and creative skills that our employers demand, helping you create an impressive portfolio of work that will make you the stand-out applicant for any hiring manager.

At a glance
Length
3 weeks · Mon–Thu FT
Schedule
Mon–Thu · 10am–5pm
Venue
CPD Brighton
Funded value
£2,600
Cost to you
£0
Overview

Three weeks. Monday to Thursday, full-time. Designed for career changers and jobseekers who want to switch into digital fast.

This is CPD's longest-running individual course — we've run it monthly since 2017 and have over 3,000 graduates. The format is intense and high-touch: you spend 12 days at our Brighton Mac suite, working through a structured brief alongside a cohort of 12–16.

What you leave with

Curriculum

What you cover

Week 1

Brand & content foundations

Develop knowledge of key design principles in content creation. Explore the creative, digital and tech industries. Build and develop skills in Adobe InDesign to create unique tailored CVs. You'll dive into the world of logo design and create your own logo from scratch with Adobe Illustrator, and gain a better understanding of the different file formats available and why they matter.

Week 2

Channels & paid

Learn about legal and ethical issues in the creative industry such as copyright, data protection and accessibility. Enter the world of Adobe Photoshop and learn about constructive and non-constructive editing and photography copyright. Write basic HTML and CSS to build a web page, and understand the difference between the internet and the world wide web.

Week 3

AI & portfolio polish

Put your newfound skills to the test by building your own website. Understand how to check it for accessibility, usability and grammar to make sure it's working perfectly. Develop presentation skills and styles such as Storyteller and Pecha Kucha — and on your last day, pitch and present the creative work you've developed over the 3 weeks.

Cohort dates

When you can start

Jun 2026 start
1 Jun – 18 Jun 2026
Mon–Thu · 9:30–4:30 · CPD Brighton
In progressfree, grant funded
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Jun 2026 start
22 Jun – 9 Jul 2026
Mon–Thu · 9:30–4:30 · CPD Brighton
Recruiting nowfree, grant funded
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Jul 2026 start
20 Jul – 25 Aug 2026
Mon–Thu · 9:30–4:30 · part-time · CPD Brighton
Recruiting nowfree, grant funded
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Jul 2026 start
22 Jul – 27 Aug 2026
Mon–Thu · 9:30–4:30 · part-time · CPD Brighton
Recruiting nowfree, grant funded
Book on Eventbrite
Who it's for

Built for working adults

Career changers

People moving into digital from another sector — hospitality, retail, admin, public sector. Most common cohort group.

Returners

After parental leave, redundancy, or carer gap. AI/digital skills give a credible CV refresh.

Already-employed upskillers

People doing a related job but wanting deeper skill in a specific area.

Eligibility

Can you apply?

  • 19+ on 31 Aug 2025
  • UK or EU resident for 3+ years
  • Right to work in the UK
  • Not in full-time funded study
FAQ

Common questions

Can I do this while working full-time?
Probably not — it's 4 days a week 9:30–4:30 for 3 weeks. Some employers will release staff with annual leave or training time, but most individuals are between jobs or returning to work.
How does this differ from the 8-week bootcamps?
Accelerator is faster, more intense, more career-change focused. Bootcamps are slower, deeper, easier to combine with other commitments. Pick based on your time and goals.
Is there a final qualification?
Yes — a Skills Bootcamp Level 3 completion certificate, recognised by employers and the Department for Education.
What's the panel day really like?
Friday of week 3. Around 5–8 invited agency and brand people come in. Each individual presents 5 minutes of their work, then there's an informal hour over coffee. Real hiring conversations do happen — see Isla Benzie's case study.

Apply for Digital Accelerator

Five minutes to apply. We respond within one working day.

Or call us: 01273 232273