Some festivals are better suited to online delivery than others.
Returning for five days in February, the annual Digital Skills Festival is assuredly one of the former.
Highlights are set to include the launch of the 2021 digital skills audit – carried out in partnership with the Institute of Coding, and surveying the twin impacts of Brexit and the pandemic on the tech sector – and the UK’s largest digital skills careers fair.
Talent Day connects those interested in working in the sector with advice and opportunities from industry professionals and employers including Auto Trader, Bentley, musicMagpie, and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
“The pandemic has changed the way we do business and the impact on some industries will be permanent,” said Katie Gallagher, MD of event organisers, Manchester Digital. “However, as many businesses look to digitise and shift operations online, and remote working becomes more prominent, this has opened up new opportunities for many parts of the tech industry.”
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“While there’s no doubt the picture is nuanced and not the case for every digital and tech business, in general there’s still a strong demand for suitable people to fill open roles, both technical and non-technical,” she added.
“This means we’re seeing plenty of prospects for those looking to start a career in the sector, or perhaps move into the sector from industries that have been badly hit by the pandemic. These opportunities will be showcased at Talent Day, where we’ll share routes into the tech industry for people, whether they’ve worked in it previously or not.”
Anyone who is sector-curious should feel buoyed by a report last month from Tech Nation and the Digital Economy Council, highlighting that one in 10 job vacancies in the UK are now in tech roles.
As a further signifier of sector health, it found that UK tech companies raised over £10bn in 2020, more than France and Germany combined.
The Digital Skills Festival takes place from 8-12 February. To sign up for free, click here.
