Digital 2015 provided the platform for the Wales launch of ‘EdTech UK’, the brand new organisation that will help accelerate the growth of Wales and the UK’s education technology sector
The brainchild of Ian Fordham, Co-founder of the Education Foundation, EdTech UK’s work in Wales will focus on harnessing and growing digital skills within the education sector by focusing on upskilling teaching staff and encourage their own entrepreneurialism and supporting them to start their own projects or businesses that improving the delivery of learning using technology.
They will also help support innovative startups across Wales and help create an ecosystem of support, access to investment and to their networks internationally to help companies scale their work across Britain and globally.
The initiative has already provided practical support for successful education technology startups including Cardiff based Schoop, and running events with Innovate UK and other partners, providing access to seed funding and guiding them in their journey to becoming successful, self-sustainable businesses and creating jobs and growth that benefits the Welsh economy.
Ian Fordham from Edtech UK said: “We are excited to launch and preview Edtech UK’s work at the Digital 2015 event, where digital innovation and the best of Wales and the UK’s technology scene come together to bring about change. We know that there is a major digital skills gap, with too many young people still leaving school and college without the skills needed to thrive in the new digital economy. Schools and educators are also facing major intractable challenges in their institutions that we know new technology may help solve.”
He continued: “It is this perfect storm of factors that leads us to the view that Wales has a great opportunity to be radical in its use of education technology, in the classroom and beyond – as a tool for change and positive reform. And that’s why Edtech UK is launching today to harness the potential of these startups, innovators in schools, colleges and universities and the drive forward the rapid growth of the sector across Wales and take that to the world.”