MDX AI bootcamp boosts career opportunities for students and graduates

University partners with technology experts to equip students with essential employability skills

More than 130 Middlesex University students and recent graduates have enhanced their career prospects through an intensive two-week artificial intelligence (AI) bootcamp designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry needs in the digital age.

The bootcamp, AI for All Career Paths: Digital Futures, was delivered as part of the University’s Emerging Professional Programme (EPP) which supports students with work-readiness skills through extracurricular training each summer. The EPP initiative is run by the University’s award-winning Careers and Futures team. 

A collaborative partnership led by Skill Mansion, which brought together Middlesex University with Media City AI (an AI tech start up), Fortune Favours Production (a creative media production company), and Outreach Ministries (a not-for-profit partner) who supported the delivery of the Bootcamp by hosting the in-person sessions at Media City AI HQ. The Bootcamp focused on giving participants the skills to use AI as a practical tool to boost their creativity, productivity, and meet the needs of future employers. 

Students and recent graduates from a range of disciplines, including digital marketing, graphic design, film, biochemistry and neuroscience, signed up to the course which involved a mix of in-person workshops at Media City AI in London, alongside expert-led online sessions and a hands-on content creation project.

Participants worked in teams to create professional AI-enhanced audio and video podcasts, produced marketing and digital strategies to promote their work, and competed for awards and short-term paid project opportunities. They gained up-to-date technical experience, working with tools such as Descript, ElevenLabs, Google Gemini, Google Veo, ChatGPT, Heygen, Suno Adobe Suite, CapCut, Da Vinci Resolve, Slack, and Miro.

An online workshop by tech giant Google Garage introduced students to some of the latest AI-powered technologies available through Google and other platforms and how to use these for career success. 

Guest speakers included tech leader, author and marketing expert Yasmina Boubnider Kazitani, who explored the future of marketing and AI, Luis Aparicio of Media City AI who provided a demonstration of how AI is transforming content. Creative designer Dan Bartley who showed participants how to use AI in various design processes. Meanwhile, Albert Mensah, founder of audio and video production company Fortune Favours Production, shared a small business owner’s perspective on using AI at work. In the last session, two guest speaker; Zechariah Hemans (ProZech) a sneakers content creator and podcaster discussed how to produce viral content, and how AI helps creators stay efficient without losing authenticity, and Sarah Carroll Founder of Grow Global introduced students to how AI can accelerate business growth and international expansion. 

Students received certificates on completion of the course and came away with relevant examples of work, using the latest AI tools, to add to their CVs and provide examples in job interviews. Around 20 high-performing students were also offered follow-up employment initiatives, such as BA Film student Milena Starkova who was successful in securing a short-term paid role with Fortune Favours Production. 

Middlesex University Head of Careers Jack Tims said: “We want to prepare our students with the digital skills that are in demand by employers and to be able to use AI effectively in their roles regardless of the industry or career they go into.

“Helping our students develop the right employability skills with AI in mind will give them a competitive edge in the jobs market, while taking part in this programme means they will have their own relevant work, such as creating podcasts, to show prospective employers.

“This initiative not only supports the success of our students and graduates, but also contributes to national goals around AI innovation and economic growth.” 

“From exploring AI’s impact across industries to producing our own AI-powered podcasts, the programme transformed my digital knowledge. I came away with more confidence and a deeper understanding of AI as a tool to career growth.”

Oluwayemisi Adebola Alashe, Digital Marketing graduate

BSc Psychology student Boudica Atheldene said: “As a group, we developed a podcast exploring how AI tools and social media might support mental health in the digital age. It was a collaborative effort offering a chance to apply creative and technical skills to a real-world brief. We worked with a whole range of AI tools and it was a great opportunity to get hands-on experience with a variety of platforms.”

Middlesex graduate and software engineer Emma Omingo said she enhanced her professional skills and learned new skills on the workshop, including script development, professional podcast set up, collaborating in production teams, and getting an insight into how AI can be used to shape storytelling.

She said: “It was a fantastic learning experience, which improved my professional skills, and I especially enjoyed presenting a podcast that I created with a team.”