The North’s biggest Digital Skills Festival brings together tech employers like Atkins Global, GlobalLogic, BAE Systems, Raytheon, Auto Trader UK, Bentley and Zühlke – all under one roof.
Up to 300 job opportunities will be on offer on the flagship Talent Day (Wednesday, February 8th), compromising of roles in software engineering, data, cyber security, UX, design, business analyst, project management and much more.
On top of this, Conference Day (Monday, February 6th) will see a keynote talk from Auto Trader on unlocking future careers; a session on Where is the North going in terms of levelling up in technology; a panel discussion on addressing the skills gap through a cost of living crisis, and a talk by Tom Cheesewright on The Future of Work.
Paul Scully, MP and Minister for the Tech and Digital Economy, will join a Round Table discussion with tech business leaders to discuss how the Government can continue supporting and working alongside the tech industry across the North West.
The festival, organised by not-for-profit independent trade body Manchester Digital, takes place at various locations in Manchester between Monday, February 6 and Friday, February 10.
Digital Economy Minister Paul Scully said: “The North West is one of the country’s leading tech hotspots, home to more than 4,000 innovative start ups and counting. I’m excited to discuss with the region’s business leaders our plans to grow the tech talent pipeline – from investing in cyber skills to delivering new AI and data science scholarships – aimed at helping the industry go from strength to strength.”
Katie Gallagher, MD at Manchester Digital, said: “While our tech industry in the North West has survived the Covid pandemic, 2022 then saw a huge rise in the cost of living, as well as the ongoing talent shortages that have held back productivity and growth for the last few years.
“We are now looking at a potential economic recession throughout 2023, which is of course a concern to many businesses across the region. However, despite all of this, we are confident that the tech industry will continue to innovate and grow, and Manchester Digital will continue to support the industry with support, events and development of early talent.”
Conference Day will also see the results of the Skills Audit 2023 announced, which gives a snapshot of the regional tech economy during a cost of living crisis and economic recession. This policy-forming piece of in-depth research is created from data from the region’s tech and digital industry and is used by both central Government departments and regional Government to help them understand the fast-paced changing landscape.
The Digital Skills Festival also takes place during National Apprentice Week, so there are events and online sessions dedicated to helping both young people and career changers if a tech apprenticeship is the right path for them.
Sponsors of the event include Auto Trader, Atkins, BAE Systems, Raytheon, GlobalLogic, Zühlke, Bentley, hackajob and Bruntwood Sci Tech. The strategic event partner is Manchester City Council, and the education partners are the University of Salford and Manchester Metropolitan University.
