Virtual Work Experience Aims to Make a Career in Technology Accessible for All Students Across Britain

The initiative, starting on Monday 13^th July, will introduce sixth form students from all walks of life to the career possibilities within the technology industry, and provide them with valuable skills, experience and insight at a time when lockdown restrictions caused by COVID-19 have stripped young people of many opportunities.

Students will collaborate online to tackle real-life and contextual challenges, working their way through modules designed and delivered by MyKindaFuture’s experts and supported by specialists in their field. The immersive digital experience will be hosted on MyKindaFuture’s online engagement platform, Connectr, which will provide students with the opportunity to network with one another, as well as industry experts, whilst completing tasks.

Will Akerman, Founder and MD at MyKindaFuture explains: “The world is changing, and new job roles are constantly emerging in the technology sector. Through our partnership with TCS, we aim to help young people from all backgrounds, including those in areas of the country that are often overlooked, to discover the possibility of a career in technology. We will provide them with the knowledge, confidence and experience they need to succeed. The digital initiative will also help to prepare students for the mobile working that will inevitably be a big part of their future careers.” 

Alongside the hands-on work experience modules and challenges, participating students will benefit from a line-up of talks from some of the leading minds in the industry. Guest speakers on board to deliver webinars on subjects such as cybersecurity, include Dr Edewede, Security Analyst at Paysafe Group, Mike Allworth, Senior Business Analyst At Beckman Coulter Life Sciences and Lisa Robinson, Development Manager at Worldpay. All of the speakers involved in the programme will also act as online mentors for students, providing support, advice and guidance.

Students at Nishkam High School in Birmingham will be taking part in the initiative. Commenting on why opportunities like this are so important, Adam Ruhe, Vice Principal, said: “At a time when acquiring work experience with firms is so difficult, we’re grateful that our students have been provided with an opportunity to get first-hand experience in a digital format in such an important industry. The fact that it will be supported by leading industry professionals is very exciting.”     

The weeklong experience will be delivered live to 300 students across the UK, and a further 21,000 young people are set to benefit from it throughout the year, as the learning materials and resources are being distributed to teachers, careers advisors, enterprise coordinators, parents and support workers across the country.

Yogesh Chauhan, Corporate Sustainability Director at TCS UK, comments: “We are excited to be working with MyKindaFuture to deliver a cutting-edge virtual work experience event this July. This programme will help Year 12 students from diverse backgrounds develop both their employability skills and their ability to engage with an increasingly digital world, preparing them for the workplace of the future. We are very proud to be able to offer this work experience event at a time when COVID-19 has meant that many young people are suffering from reduced opportunities. Furthermore, we will be sharing the content from the event throughout 2020, to ensure that as many young people as possible benefit.”

Will Akerman concludes: “At MyKindaFuture, we know that digital tools offer a fantastic solution for encouraging young people from diverse backgrounds to get excited about a career in technology, especially while COVID-19 has brought all face-to-face activity to a halt. Through our activity with TCS, we’ll be reaching young people in ‘cold spots’ across Britain, who often do not have access to the opportunities they deserve due to their location, to offer them an accessible online experience that will equip them with invaluable employability, networking and digital skills. The initiative will introduce a massive pool of talented young people to the technology sector, setting many on their way to successful careers in this space.”

The weeklong initiative starts on Monday 13^th July. For more information, visit https://www.mykindafuture.com/