Apprenticeships Minister meets with Brightest and Best of Tech Talent at National College for Digital Skills

@GillianKeegan urges Ada students to take initiative to open doors to successful careers 

On September 23, Apprenticeships Minister Gillian Keegan, visited Ada, National College for Digital Skills, to talk to students about kick starting their careers in STEM. Minister Keegan, the first female MP in her constituency, worked for 27 years in the manufacturing, banking and technology sectors before transitioning into politics.

Ada is a specialist sixth form college that focuses primarily on equipping its students with the digital skills they need to jumpstart a career in the tech industry. The college places special emphasis on eliminating barriers for women and individuals from low-income backgrounds to pursue STEM careers. The college works directly with employers to create opportunities for students through apprenticeships which they engage in alongside a rigorous curriculum. 

Throughout Minister Keegan’s visit, she encouraged students at Ada to “use your initiative” and seek out people working in the industry they are interested in, acknowledging the benefits of creating a strong network. 

She also affirmed the value and benefits of apprenticeship programmes, telling her own story of seeking out apprenticeships that allowed her to study to a high level while she worked. In Minister Keegan’s experience, this led to her becoming a manager by age 21 and opened doors to jobs where she travelled the world and built a successful career in industries traditionally tailored for men.

Minister Keegan also acknowledged that finding these opportunities is not easy, nor is it always a fast process, but encouraged students to “just never give up, and never stop learning.” She highlighted the importance of studying subjects where there are current skills gaps and qualified students will be in-demand by employers.

Gillian Keegan, Apprenticeships and Skills Minister said:

“Ada is a great example of our approach to FE Reform, bringing together education and training expertise with strong relationships with major employers – in their case Google, Deloitte and Bank of America, EY, Salesforce – to ensure the FE offer for young people and mature learners will lead to great careers.”

Chief Executive of Ada, Mark Smith said:

“We were delighted to welcome Minister Keegan to Ada this week so that she could see first hand the work we do to prepare our students for a career in tech, and the enormous, diverse talent pool that we have right here in our classrooms. 

“Minister Keegan is an excellent role model for our students, especially our young women. Her first-hand account of how apprenticeships can lead to successful careers has no doubt inspired them all to pursue their goals even more, and her advice has expanded the breadth of knowledge they will tap into as they seek out future opportunities.”