Opportunities in the ICT and...16 Business East Monthly East Anglian Daily Times Tuesday, June 20,...

16 East Anglian Daily Times Tuesday, June 20, 2017BusinessEast Monthlywww.eadt.co.uk

Opportunities in the ICT and In partnership with Suffolk County Council, Business East Monthly is running a series of reports aimed at informing young people about the career opportunities that exist in the region and the skills required to make the most of these openings. This month features an overview of the ICT and digital sector.

Sector skills report: ICT and digital

Driving the digital tech skills agendaBy Tim Robinson, chief operating officer at TechEast

Talent is the fuel that powers the digital economy, and having the right plan for the region to drive the supply of skills to meet

current and future employer needs is a priority for TechEast.

We have led the engagement of businesses in developing New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership’s Digital Tech Skills Plan and following consultation in Suffolk and Norfolk some key themes emerged. Across the East of England – as elsewhere – the market for ICT skills is under pressure not least as there is competition from employers in London which pay considerably higher salaries.

Although the number of computer science undergraduates in the region’s universities has risen steadily to 1,155 in 2016, skills shortages are a concern. Working with SkillsReach we estimate 7,000 jobs will need to be replaced between now and 2024, not including expected growth in the sector.

Skills gapsEmployers have told us that it can be difficult to recruit and retain top quality programmers. There are skills gaps in software design, coding, Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud services and areas such as UX design and cybersecurity.

But there is appetite for change: employers and further education colleges show enthusiasm to engage more with schools and inform career choices, and businesses want greater involvement with universities to increase the relevance of academic qualifications.

Apprenticeships provide a further opportunity as an alternative pathway. Since 2011 apprenticeship starts in tech have flat-lined but there is a renewed focus following the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in April.SMEs within the sector are willing to consider apprenticeships but are concerned about the cost and time

implications. Local employers and education providers are stepping up to the mark. BT are creating more than 200 new jobs with apprenticeship and graduate roles to be based at Martlesham. The University of Suffolk is offering higher and degree apprenticeships from June. West Suffolk College is providing apprenticeships for world-leading semiconductors firm ARM, and Ipswich based Derivco are now offering degree apprenticeships.

Joined up approachFor many IT professionals, globally-recognised certifications such as Microsoft and Cisco are a standard requirement. While technical training has often been sourced commercially out of region, providers such as Opportunities Workshop are able to provide a solution locally.

Where do we go from here? We see three main priorities for a joined-up approach.

First, to ensure local skills development is employer-led. This will involve collaboration with other stakeholders, to drive the digital tech skills offer and maximise return. TechEast is creating a Digital Tech Skills Task Force to oversee the implementation of the Skills Plan, ensure relevance of provision and keep the sector informed.

Second, to widen talent pipelines including apprenticeships and internships. Locally, KCOM are partnering with AWS on their re:Start programme offering young people and ex-military personnel the opportunity to gain work experience and develop their digital skills

Third, to realise opportunities for in-career

learning and development and blend traditional and online channels to enhance the accessibility

of digital tech continuing professional development.

These are exciting times but there is much work to be

done to ensure the sector continues to thrive and attract the best talent.

The Employers

Claire Sparkes- head of IT workforce & support service, Suffolk County Council

What is the role of IT in your organisation?Technology is an increasingly important and essential part of our work at Suffolk County Council and in public services more generally. Our staff, customers and residents expect to be able to do things electronically and the demand for services and innovation is growing constantly.

We have approximately 140 staff working in IT and information management, across multiple disciplines covering functions such as design and development, applications and network management and customer services.

What roles are you looking to fill?We regularly recruit for specific roles, e.g. network engineers or customer service assistants, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit ready-made candidates. As a result, we are

reviewing our number of intern and Apprenticeship placements as we consider skills for the future and “growing our own talent”. We currently have two apprentices and one intern who is due to start with us in the next few weeks.

With apprentices and intern placements, we look for those with a real passion for IT and for someone who is prepared to work in a variety of areas within the service. It isn’t just about the technical skills, we need good communicators and those who

are adaptable and resilient through change.

How do you recruit this talent? When we have a vacancy, it may be that we require specific skills or experience so decisions around how to advertise and the target audience is decided on a case by case basis. We have made a commitment to have apprentices and interns as part of our organisation and have many established staff who started their career here as apprentices.

The apprentices will work within a specific team for the duration of their placement. They will also spend time on the Service Desk to assist with their understanding of our customers and colleagues and the types of requests that come in. At present, our apprentices are working within the Enterprise Applications and Infrastructure teams.

‘Technology is an increasingly important part of our work’

Technology at BT

Visit www.suffolkjobsdirect.org to find out more about opportunities in the ICT and digital sector.

East Anglian Daily Times Tuesday, June 20, 2017 17BusinessEastMonthlywww.eadt.co.uk

digital sector

What roles are you looking to fill?We are a software development house and so always seeking creative, innovative developers across all levels of experience. As we continue to develop applications for desktop, mobile and tablet platforms we are seeking developers with experience of C# and web languages such as HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. Naturally as our team of developers continues to grow we’re also seeking experienced Automation Testers with previous vast experience.

For our Testing roles any experience of test automation – Visual Studio, NUnit, Scripting, BDD, Ranorex or Test Complete is key.

We’re also building an Elixir Development team and so are keen to hear from anyone with functional programming experience with either Elixir, Erlang, Haskell; and are also building our services team and are seeking experienced SQL Developers.

Above all we’re looking for innovators with the desire to constantly evolve and expand your experience to grow with us.

How do you recruit this talent? We invest in our talent and

provide full support to achieve professional qualifications, be that to an apprentice joining with minimal experience and supporting them through achieving a BSc in Computer Science, to assisting experienced hires in gaining professional accreditations and certifications.

We also assign mentors and provide lots of on-the-job support and training. Derivco offers a collaborative environment and we can all learn something from each other!

We offer six-week summer internship placements, which is a great opportunity for individuals to gain some fantastic experience in the real-world environment. Our apprenticeship scheme is a three-year programme in which our apprentices have paid employment whilst studying for a fully funded BSc in Computer Science.

To find out more about opportunities at Derivco, visit www.derivco.com

What roles are you looking to fill?We are actively recruiting software developers and test engineers, with interest & passion in mobile development & IoT (Internet of Things).

We look for the usual language skills of Java, Obj-C & Swift and it is useful for candidates to have Android or iOS skills too. We train our developers to keep up-to-date. We are also looking for developers who want to be challenged and to join in our team motto of, “we do the hard work, so customers don’t need to” and when building the best user experience.

How do you recruit this talent? We work on multiple paths: we have engaged schools, colleges and universities, offering placements and internships. We also sponsor and are looking to

get more involved with local meet-up groups and events including the Suffolk Creative Computing Club, SIMS, Sync Ipswich and the Sync-DevelopHER awards.

Over the last four years we trained Quality Assurance Engineers and helped them to achieve ISTQB. On the development side we have helped team members get either their MS Foundation or Associate Android Developer certifications. We also provide an online development portal to staff where individuals can use it for work and for personal projects too. We are lucky to be working in such a fast moving area, so the candidates are able to get involved in a wide range of skills and projects, so they can understand how the best software processes support our ISO certifications.

Visit www.coderus.com for more information

Q&A: Mark Thomas, managing director, Coderus

Q&A: Nicola Rogers, talent acquisition specialist, Derivco Ipswich

Susan Grove - graduate and apprentice lead programme manager, BT

Q: Please tell us about BT?A: BT is a large global organisation and we’re really proud to have two of our key sites located within the East Anglian region, in Cambridge and Martlesham (Adastral Park). BT’s current and future ambitions are to use digital technology to improve people’s lives. At Adastral Park we have many of our technology teams, including our world-class research and innovation hub. It is also home to Innovation Martlesham which facilitates nearly 100 digital sector companies, including big industry names such as Cisco, Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia, and many local start-ups. BT has an increasing demand for digital skills to meet our current needs as well as new roles being driven by future convergence and technical innovation.

Q: What roles are you looking to fill?A: BT is recruiting apprentices and graduates onto programmes across all areas of our varied business. In the Technology, Service and Operations (TSO) part of our organisation we focus on software engineering, network engineering, customer solution design & research and innovation roles. These are critical skill areas so that we are able to create, deliver and run our fantastic networks and services.

Q: How do you ensure you have the right talent coming through? A: We offer a variety of ways to experience what BT’s all about, from school visits to Adastral Park, to work experience.

For those already studying for a degree we have a limited number of summer and industrial placements available. These are a great way to secure an early place on our graduate programme, as well as giving the individual valuable work experience doing ‘real work’.

We’re sponsoring the Suffolk Skills Show again this year, so that young people from the East

Anglian region can come and talk to us on 18th October at Trinity Park. In 2017, the technology organisation within BT is employing over 100 graduates and over 140 apprentices into network and software engineering focused roles, based at our key tech hub locations across the UK, a significant number of these will be based in the East Anglia region.

Apprenticeships are playing an increasingly important role in our talent strategy; they give young people the opportunity to gain up to degree level qualifications whilst gaining valuable work experience whilst earning. For BT, apprenticeships give us the opportunity to develop individuals academically as well as gaining complementary work experience. This ensures we will have sufficiently skilled employees to support our big future ambitions.

Visit the BT team at the Suffolk Skills Show on October 18.

‘Apprenticeships are playing an increasingly important role in our talent strategy’



The Inventor

‘There is no prescribed skill set...’Vidhya Karthikeyan is a principal researcher at BT focussed on applying machine learning and data science to BT’s networks and BT TV.

How did you break into the ICT /digital sector? I work in research in network and service analytics for BT which I joined in 2009 as a graduate upon completing my degree.

I originally studied a degree in electrical and electronic engineering at University College London but having enjoyed modules in networks and communication technologies, I changed my degree from an MEng to a more subject-specific MSc in Telecommunications. My tutor had strong links into BT and he recommended me, following which I was requested to apply.

I knew I would be joining the BT team, so I approached my line manager at the time to see if we could shape a project together that would allow me to learn the skills of the new team as well as match the requirements of my Master’s thesis.

This resulted in my team and I carving out a new area of research around self-managing networks and services. Once I finished my Master’s I relocated from London to Ipswich and am now based at BT’s campus at Martlesham Heath.

How is your career developing? My research is broadly around how we can leverage network and service performance data to better manage our broadband networks and subsequently deliver great quality TV to our customers. It’s about preparing our future networks to deliver future services.

I am now also studying towards a PHD part-time along with my role at BT, which the company is supporting.

What are your greatest achievements to date? I am an inventor on 25 patents and patent applications. This is a testament to the success of my area of research and its relevance to the future of the telecom industry.

I am also incredibly proud of some of the awards I have won. Two years ago I was named Young IT Professional of the Year by the British Computing Society at the UK IT Industry Awards. The year before, I was awarded the CBI’s First Woman of the Year award for engineering.

My work has helped diagnose various root causes of TV degradation in the past across our nationwide infrastructure. Some of my work recently underwrote our TV growth strategy by ensuring that we have sufficient network capacity to carry a greater number of channels. My research directly touches our end users – it enables our customers to watch high definition TV in good quality in their living rooms and on the move.

What are your plans for the future? BT is a key player in the telecoms sector for

the UK and I hope to continue to contribute to our technology roadmap and deliver research that will help underpin future networks and services. I also aspire to be a role model for young women who wish to pursue a STEM career.

I’ve grown from being a novice in my technical area to an expert for my field. The natural progression for me is to grow this research area with a team of researchers, enabling them to reach the right audience, and together creating a wider scope of opportunity for BT.

Any advice for those starting out?My foremost learning is that there is no prescribed skill set. I started out with a telecoms degree, understanding all about how networks operate, and have since migrated into computer science and machine learning, developing algorithms that solve network challenges.

And while technical skills are important, developing interpersonal skills is also key. Learning to describe technical content has enabled me to develop strong relationships with customers, understand their business needs, translate those into technical solutions and communicate insight back to a wide audience.

I have learnt that people are less intimidating than I had assumed when I was younger. Reaching out to those who have common interests has allowed me to grow my own research space and find my place in a large organisation.

If you have an interest in a certain subject and you think someone might know about it – go and talk to them about it, don’t be shy.

The Entrepreneur

‘Coding is for people who are bright and passionate about what they do...’Katherine Riddell is co-founder and COO of Digital Tomorrow Today

What do you do?We are a technology company based at Brightwell near Ipswich, that combines technical expertise with digital marketing experience to create products and strategies for customers and businesses around the world. We build bespoke digital tools to help customers analyse and research their social media strategy. These products include BirdSong Analytics, BirdSong Data and Tweetchup. We are a small team of six developers and marketing experts.

How do you find developers?Up until now we have been lucky enough to have been approached directly by talented developers of different levels of experience or to have found them through our business network.

All our developers have their individual stories. One of our team, for example, has a background in the arts and worked in television before moving over to coding.

A common theme in our team is that most have never done a formal Computer Science course. They developed a real passion for coding – mostly by creating their own projects and building up a portfolio of work that they have been able to take to employers.

However, if our region is going to be able to meet the growing need for more trained developers it is vital that there is more formal training on offer. There are some great initiatives happening at the University of Suffolk, such as the delivery of the new degree apprenticeships where people can both work and study part time to achieve a degree.

We are considering taking on apprentices and hope to look at that in January next year.

What are the prospects for the IT sector?With Brexit. there is a lot of uncertainty around the City of London and our economy. I believe that technology will become hugely important to our GDP over the next 10 years and it will need to step up to create new revenue and jobs.

What would you say to young people considering a career in the digital sector?Software development is an excellent career path for anyone prepared to work hard and learn quickly. It offers a huge number of opportunities for young people to develop a career for life and potentially travel the world with their skills.

At our company, we are working on ground-breaking software from a great location with a nice work-life balance. We do all our coding in-house at our Suffolk offices and our products are bought by customers across the world.

Coding is for people who are bright and passionate about what they do. Our team build some amazing thing with code. For example, we recently developed an online hearing test for an international client - to see it developed from an initial prototype to a polished, fully functioning online tool was incredible satisfying.

In my view, software development is not boring or geeky– it requires

imagination and creativity to deliver exciting solutions

to new and old challenges. I see developers as the inventors of the modern age.


ICT and digital sector – at a glance

The digital tech sector contributes nearly 4% total economic value (GVA) generated in the New Anglia region, which is around £1.3bn of the £35.5bn generated by the New Anglia economy in 2015.

Digital tech in Ipswich

SOURCES: New Anglia LEP Skills Plan 2017, The Tech Nation report 2017

16,600New Anglia’s digital tech sector has a total employment base of:

Nearly 5% of businesses, over 3,400 of the 72,900 businesses in New Anglia, are digital Tech businesses.

9,981digital tech economy jobs

£41,025average advertised digital salary:

£163mDigital GVA (average 2013-15) 91

digital tech start-up births (average number 2011-15)

+27%Digital business turnover growth 2011-15

USEFUL WEBSITES

� www.icanbea.org.uk Follow and learn about leading employers in the sector.

� www.newanglia.co.uk/ new-anglia-youth-pledgemarque The Youth Pledge Marque is awarded to businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk who are committed to supporting the future workforce.

� www.apprenticeshipssuffolk.org Find out about apprenticeship opportunities.

� www.its-mygo.co.uk Mygo is a modern youth employment service for 16-24 year olds looking for training or education-based in Ipswich and across Suffolk.

� www.newanglia.co.uk/ new-anglia-enterpriseadviser-network Find out more about the benefits of becoming a New Anglia Enterprise Adviser - working with schools and colleges to help raise career ambitions and work prospects for young people.

� www.suffolkskillsshow.com Details on the county’s leading skills event being held at Ipswich’s Trinity Park on October 18th.

The Graduate

‘Technologies move so fast and you have to keep adapting...’Dragos Dumitru, aged 22, is a software developer at the Ipswich office of Derivco, a leading development house for online gaming.

How did you break into the ICT/ digital sector?I was studying for a degree in computer games design at the University of Suffolk with a focus on the technical aspects of computer game development.

While I was in my second year, I attended a presentation given by people from Derivco who were talking about the internship opportunities the company offers students.

I approached them about the possibility of working part-time at the company and, following that conversation, I sent them my covering letter and portfolio. A month or so later, I was asked to attend an interview and I was fortunate enough to be offered a part-time position.

How is your career developing? I started out as a software test analyst working in C# and more recently I have moved into a software development role working with the Elixir programming language.

I completed the last part of my degree at

the beginning of May and have now started working full-time at Derivco.

Derivco is an amazing company to learn and expand your knowledge. At university they try to simulate a working environment but working alongside professionals like I have while studying has been extremely valuable in adding to my skills.

Now I am working full-time, I’m focusing on my current position and looking to expand my knowledge of new technologies. This is an aspect of the digital sector – it’s always challenging you and keeping your brain active. Technologies move so fast and you have to keep adapting – there is certainly no time to get bored.

Any advice for people starting out?I think the most important things is to find something that you are happy and passionate about.

Software development takes a lot of learning and the only way that you will do this is to spend a lot time working at it. To do this you must have a passion for it. Being a good developer requires about 20% talent and 80% hard work, giving your best.

Money is less important than passion because if you are passionate about your work, eventually the money will come.



The Educators

‘Degree Apprenticeships are growing...’

Karen Hinton - head of student recruitment and market development, University of Suffolk

Viv Gillespie – principal, Suffolk New College

What courses do you have that are relevant to young people wanting to work in the digital sector? Our courses include: ■ Level 3 Extended Diploma in IT covers the principles of computer science systems, security, social media, graphics and animation. As part of the course students can access industry qualifications such as CISCO accreditation, and CODESTARS which are on-line qualifications, visit trade shows and games industry professionals.■ Level 2: Information Technology – covers technology systems, digital graphics, multi-media products. Gives specialist work-related qualifications in a number of areas, using modern software packages, industry visits and web development skills.■ A Level Computer Science

Some (but not all) courses require good mathematical ability.

What route are there into the ICT and digital sector? This very much depends at what level the young person starts to specialise. The lower level programmes tend to cover a wide range of areas and skills, with greater specialisation at Level 3. At Level 3 (equivalent A Level) there are paths leading to careers in programming, networking, cyber security, games and web design.

Good advice and guidance is essential, of course. At our college we have developed colourful ‘route maps’ which highlight the many routes and options, leading to digital jobs and higher education. Often young people studying at Level 2 will develop a particular interest to follow into a Level 3 programme. Work experience also plays a part, as working for an employer will give a much clearer idea of the ‘reality’ of working in different fields.

How do apprenticeships fit into all of this? Apprenticeships in ICT/digital have been around now for some time but are changing as the sectors skills requirements develop over time. Currently, there is a big change to move from the established ‘ Frameworks’ to the new standards. There are standards available for Level 2 up to degree level in areas such as: digital marketer, data analyst, cyber security technician, infrastructure technician, network engineer, software developer and unified communications technician.

What advice do you have for young people looking to enter the ICT and digital sector?

■ Do your research into the wide range of jobs available.■ Seek advice re; the routes to get to where you want to be.■ Have work experience in the sector.■ Speak to other young people who have gone on to work in digital careers.■ Attend open days at colleges/universities/schools to find out more.

What courses do you have that are relevant to young people wanting to work in the digital sector?The digital sector is incredibly varied and I think the most important question for young people to consider is: what is most likely to keep me enthused about my work for the next 30-40 years? There is a real range of courses, from the creative areas of graphic design or computer games design/programming, to the areas more focussed on technology such as mobile and web engineering or software engineering.

What route are there into the ICT and digital sector?There are three routes into the ICT and Digital sector: work, apprenticeships or degrees.

Some people go into the sector almost by mistake, through applying for a job and working their way up – but there could be some limitations there without the academic qualifications behind them.

Apprenticeships have grown in this sector with the development of new Degree Apprenticeships. Young people can take on a Level 3 Apprenticeship and then be supported by their employer into a Degree Apprenticeship, or they can apply for a traditional Degree or Degree Apprenticeship following A Levels, BTECS or other Level 3 qualifications.

Traditional degrees still provide an excellent route into the sector – universities like the University of Suffolk work closely with employers to ensure our degrees are relevant for the sector, and we often work with employers on placements and internships. This means that university students can experience a range of employers during their studies – gaining an insight into the industry and excellent work experience to help as they apply for a graduate job.

Degree Apprenticeships are growing though. At the University of Suffolk, we are working with BT and Derivco (and others) in offering the Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship. Apprentices will normally study one day per week, and will gain a degree in three to four years – specialising in either Software Engineering or Network Engineering.

Are you seeing more opportunities for young people?Yes. The growth of apprenticeships has particularly focussed this sector to develop opportunities for young people, but we have also seen excellent graduate opportunities in the sector both in East

Anglia (particularly in Ipswich and Norwich) and further afield (including Cambridge and London). The need for graduates and highly-skilled professionals in this area is growing, and Suffolk and Norfolk is expecting to see a recruitment gap of as many as 7,000 by 2024. There are definitely opportunities available and there will continue to be opportunities available as we look towards the future.

What advice do you have for young people looking to enter the ICT and digital sector?Explore the options. There are many, many options for study and work in this sector, so have a good think about what you enjoy doing, and look at what degree or apprenticeship will give you the chance to develop your skills in that area. Importantly, remember that technology has changed considerably in just the last ten years, so you need to be prepared to be flexible and to keep learning throughout your career. At the University of Suffolk we teach our students to be agile and to be prepared for change. We think it’s important that our graduates go into graduate employment with the knowledge and skills needed for today, tomorrow and ten years from now. The most important piece of advice though? Enjoy it. It’s a wonderful feeling to be studying something that you love.

‘Good advice and guidance is essential...’

■ To find out more about training providers and employers such as University of Suffolk, West Suffolk College, Suffolk New College, BT, Measured Brilliance, Kwiboo, and Painting Pixels, including general information on the ICT and digital industry please have a look on icanbea.org.uk or sign up to ‘follow’ employers you are interested in.


Glen Chilton, 22, recently completed software engineering apprenticeship with BT while studying for a foundation degree at the University of Suffolk.

How did you break into the digital/ICT sector?I attended Stowupland High School near Stowmarket where I took A Levels in physics, biology, chemistry and maths. I decided not to study computer science at this point because I didn’t want to tie myself into a specific area.

My plan was to go onto university and study either physics, computer science or engineering. But then I heard online about BT’s higher apprenticeships in conjunction with the University of Suffolk, where apprentices worked at BT and then study towards a foundation degree and attend lectures at the university’s waterfront building once a week.

After completing some online numeracy and literacy tests and attending an interview, my application was successful and I joined BT as a higher apprentice. I completed my apprenticeship last year and am now working as a software engineer while also studying towards a full BSc in Software Engineering at the University of Suffolk. This is another year on top of the three year apprenticeship where I attend lectures on day release and I should be finished by the end of the year.

How have you found the apprenticeship process?For me, it’s been 100% better than studying full-time. It’s enabled me to apply what I’ve learnt at university on the job and has really helped cement my knowledge. You can talk about things in theory but when you see it in a live project it brings it alive.

You also get paid as you learn, and don’t have to worry about building up any student debts.

What are your plans for the future?I’ve recently been promoted into a new

software engineering role, and after I have finished the degree I hope to progress into a more senior software engineering role where you are more involved in the project from the start and have more of an input into the product design.

Eventually, I’d like to move into management but it’s difficult to say at this time because at BT there so many opportunities. It’s a global company and your career can go in many directions.

Any advice for people starting out? I’d say - go for it. I didn’t do any software development at school but when I found out about the BT apprenticeships – I started to look up the different software languages and found out more about them.

So, I’d say be prepared to learn, swot up on the programming languages and look into what apprenticeships are available - I certainly wasn’t aware of how many there are out there. They get you into work and you earn while you learn.

Data scientistsThe use of data and information is becoming increasingly important in the design of public services so roles like ‘data scientists’ and people who have an interest in looking for patterns and trends in data and information are emerging. Also, cyber security and data protection are becoming increasingly important themes in local government. (Claire Sparkes – Suffolk County Council)

Cyber securitySkills that are of key interest to us include: cyber security, internet of things / internet of everything, 5G, robotics and artificial intelligence.

Convergence of our networks and services is a continuing theme in the industry. Although BT invests in a

significant amount of innovation and research in the UK, we also continually scout the world and bring innovations from Silicon Valley, UAE and China back into BT. (Susan Grove – BT)

Internet of ThingsI see a requirement for more Internet of Things developers. Software development has changed so much over the years from desktop to laptop to mobile. We are beginning to see the accessibility of IoT devices, and perhaps less of a requirement for embedded expertise that is currently required.

I also see developers will need to be more aware of interfaces like AR and voice, as we see these becoming more mainstream. (Mark Thomas - Coderus)

Peter Brady, CEO of Orbital Media in Stowmarket has signed up to be an Enterprise Adviser with his local school Stowmarket High.The New Anglia Enterprise Adviser Network works to connect senior leaders in local schools and colleges with local business leaders who volunteer their time to become Enterprise Advisers, bringing their wealth of knowledge and experience of the world of work to help develop careers education for young people between 11 and 18 years old.

Peter Brady, CEO of Orbital Media - a growing technology company based in Stowmarket has signed up to be an Enterprise Adviser with his local school Stowmarket High.

Mr Brady said: “Orbital Media is a company going through a period of exceptional growth and innovation. The ground breaking technologies

we are developing could end up improving healthcare outcomes or even saving lives. It’s this moral dimension to our commercial activities which really excites me as a CEO and the people we employ at Orbital.

He added: “This is why the role of Enterprise Adviser appealed. The potential to bring some unique insights and experience to some stubborn educational problems might just make a small difference to future generations of students coming through the system. That should be a hugely motivating prospect for anybody joining the New Anglia Enterprise Network.”

The school is working with the Enterprise Adviser Network on several projects that will bring the world or work alive for their students such as revitalising work experience and

expanding their network of inspirational employers using both traditional and new media methods.

“The Enterprise Adviser partnership connects to the heart of our mission,” added headteacher Dave Lee Allan.

“The school’s strapline is ‘The Future, Our Business’ and we fundamentally believe that education changes lives. To be successful we must connect in real ways with the business community. Our partnership is starting to redefine how we approach this vital aspect of education and we are very excited about the future”.

The New Anglia Enterprise Adviser Network is supported by New Anglia LEP and Norfolk and Suffolk county councils. Visit www.newanglia.co.uk/new-anglia-

enterprise-adviser-network/ for further

details.

‘Be prepared to learn and swot up on the programming languages...’

The Apprentice

Become an Enterprise Adviser and promote business to the next generation

What digital skills will be in demand in 2025?

Opportunities in the ICT and...16 Business East Monthly East Anglian Daily Times Tuesday, June 20,...

Documents

Transcript of Opportunities in the ICT and...16 Business East Monthly East Anglian Daily Times Tuesday, June 20,...