The Skills Beneath the Skills.
Grounded in Safety.
Built on Self-Knowing.
Carried by Confidence.
Across Scotland, women remain significantly underrepresented in technology. For those who are neurodivergent, returning to work, refugees, carers, or from non-traditional backgrounds, the barriers run deeper than access to a course.
Many learners arrive at technical training carrying invisible loads — disrupted study histories, financial precarity, caring responsibilities, experiences of exclusion, and nervous systems shaped by years of being underestimated. Without a learning environment that meets those realities, technical content alone cannot land.
The Women & Future Skills Programme in the Tay Cities region (Dundee 2025/26) was co-designed to meet learners where they are. NomadAlba’s contribution was the human infrastructure: the embedded human skills practice that makes technical learning, and the careers it leads to, sustainable.
The problem isn’t talent. It isn’t even access alone. It’s whether the journey itself is built to hold the human walking it.
Our Role: NomadAlba
We focus on what happens beneath the curriculum — the human conditions that determine whether learning is absorbed, retained, and translated into a career.
NomadAlba delivered embedded human skills sessions throughout the SCQF Level 7/8 PDA in Data Science, designed as a layered developmental arc rather than a series of standalone wellbeing add-ons.
We embedded:
➥ Trauma-informed safety, somatic regulation, voice, and agency
➥ Emotional intelligence, adaptability, wellbeing, and identity
➥ Confidence, resilience, self-awareness, and belonging
Each layer scaffolds the next. Without a regulated nervous system, emotional intelligence is inaccessible. Without emotional intelligence, confidence is performance rather than ground.
Grounded in Research and Practice
NomadAlba’s human skills practice is informed by an integrated body of peer-reviewed and practitioner-led frameworks. On the Women & Future Skills programme, we drew explicitly on:
trauma informed practice
What We Delivered
As part of this programme, we:
➥ Supported [10–15] women learners with embedded human skills practice across the duration of the SCQF programme
➥ Delivered structured, recurring sessions integrated into the technical learning rhythm — not bolted on
➥ Held a psychologically safe group space grounded in trauma-informed principles
➥ Supported individual regulation, identity work, and career-readiness in parallel with technical progression
This wasn’t a wellbeing wrap-around. It was:
Structured ✓ Developmental ✓ Trauma-informed ✓ Research-grounded ✓
Inner Development Goals (IDGs)
A research-led framework identifying the inner capabilities — being, thinking, relating, collaborating, acting — required to deliver on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The IDGs reframe ‘soft skills’ as developmental infrastructure.
Trauma-informed practice
Drawing on SAMHSA’s six principles (safety, trustworthiness, peer support, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural responsiveness) and Cox & Phipps’ work on trauma-informed adult learning, particularly in contexts of displacement, exclusion, and educational disruption.
Earth Charter and the UN SDGs
The wider ethical horizon. NomadAlba’s practice positions human development as inseparable from social, economic, and ecological wellbeing — a position consistent with Scotland’s wellbeing economy commitments.
Real Outcomes from the Programme
This programme is already producing tangible human and professional change.
Learners reported:
★ Greater regulation and capacity to stay present in technical learning
★ Increased self-awareness around strengths, values, and direction
★ Confidence to apply for, and step into, roles previously felt to be ‘out of reach’
★ A renewed sense of belonging in the data and tech community
Increased capacity leading to:
Sustained engagement across the SCQF programme ✓
Career applications and transitions into data and tech roles ✓
A felt sense of being part of the community, not outside it ✓
Learner Voices
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Learner Voices 〰️
“The human skills part of the programme surprised me in a good way. The sessions focused on communication, empathy, wellbeing, and creative thinking — things that are often overlooked, especially in technical fields. It really helped me understand that without looking after yourself — mentally, physically, and emotionally — it’s very hard to perform well or move forward in your career. In data roles, it’s not enough to just analyse numbers or write code. You need to understand the problem, communicate your results clearly, and work with empathy. These human skills will stay important, even as AI becomes more common.” - Judit - Aspiring Data Professional
“This programme has had a huge impact on my confidence and my direction. I came into it hoping to gain knowledge, but I am leaving with something much bigger: a stronger belief in myself, a clearer sense of possibility, and a new vision of my future. It changed my direction in a real way. Professionally, it helped me see that I can continue developing in this field and that new pathways are possible for me. Personally, it reminded me that growth can happen at any stage when people are given the right support, encouragement, and opportunity.” - Roksolana - Data Scientist (AI) | QA Engineer | Economist | Translator
“This programme has had a genuinely significant impact on my life, both personally and professionally. It has given me skills, confidence, and a clearer direction, and I truly believe it will play a key role in helping me secure future employment and progress in my career. I was genuinely sad when the programme came to an end, which says a lot about the experience. It wasn’t just about learning, it was about feeling supported, challenged, and part of something meaningful. The value of this programme goes far beyond the content; it creates confidence, opens doors, and helps people see opportunities they may not have believed were possible before. For those who fund and shape skills provision in Scotland, I would emphasise that programmes like this are making a real difference. They are equipping people with practical, future-focused skills while also building confidence and ambition. Continued investment in initiatives like this is incredibly important, as they have a lasting impact on individuals, their career prospects, and the wider workforce.” - Michelle - HR Professional
“I’d started applying for roles out of fear — work that didn't fit my body or my values. The questions Bianca asked brought me back to what I actually care about. Within hours of leaving the session, I'd applied for what felt like my dream role, drawing on both my research background and my data skills. The human skills work wasn't a soft layer next to the technical learning — it was the thing that stopped me making a decision out of fear.” - Fiona - Patient Support & Advocacy Officer transitioning to Data Analyst
Why This Works
This programme succeeds because of partnership.
Three organisations, three distinct contributions, one integrated learner journey.
Learn more about Code Division and The Data Gals:
Code Division
→ Accredited Digital, Data & AI Education, Pathways and Employability
SCQF Accreditation Centre and approved training provider specialising in accredited digital, data and AI skills programmes across Scotland. Code Division’s SCQF Level 7 and 8 courses are aligned with industry frameworks so that learners gain both recognised qualifications and job-ready capability. Their work has supported over 1,000 learners — many from underrepresented backgrounds — into tech careers, higher education, and upskilling pathways.
The Data Gals
→ Mentorship, Recruitment Pathways, and Career Navigation
The bridge between learning and employment. The Data Gals redesign the part of the journey where most programmes fall short — matching learners with industry mentors, supporting career transitions, and building inclusive recruitment pathways into data and tech roles. Their work ensures that capability built in the classroom is recognised, nurtured, and actively connected to opportunity and continues long after the programme ends.