UK’s largest Digital Skills Festival announces key sponsors and education partners

Manchester Digital’s Digital Skills Festival returns in February – connecting students, graduates and job-seekers with the North West’s premier tech and digital businesses

The hybrid event takes place from Monday, February 7 to Friday, February 11, 2022, in Manchester city centre (*Covid restrictions permitting), with some events online.

The education partners for the event are the University of Salford and the School of Digital Arts (SODA) at Manchester Metropolitan University. Sponsors and stands for Talent Day include well-known tech businesses such as Autotrader, Naimuri, Zühlke, Bentley, BT, the UK Home Office, BAE and many more.

Katie Gallagher, managing director of Manchester Digital, said:

“We want to encourage as many young people as possible to realise how many different careers there are in the tech and digital industry. There are so many pathways available, whether you’re a graduate, at sixth-form college or changing career.

“We work really closely with our members, who are the leading tech and digital businesses right across the North West, to put them in touch with talented young people looking to start their careers.”

Talent Day careers fair takes place on Wednesday, February 9 and will see around 250 jobs on offer for young people and career changers, ranging from developer and software engineer roles right through to digital marketing and user experience.

The event also takes place during National Apprentice Week, so Tuesday, February 8 has been earmarked as Digital Apprentice Day, which puts the spotlight on this growing and credible pathway into the industry. Meet up with apprenticeship providers and current apprentices to find out more about digital apprenticeship opportunities.

Conference Day (Monday, February 7) will also see the announcement of the 2022 Skills Audit, with key findings around the digital and tech industry across Greater Manchester, as well as keynote speeches from Craig Fenton, Google UK&I and Alison Ross, Autotrader and chair at Manchester Digital.

Last year’s Manchester Digital’s Skills Audit found that 40% of businesses surveyed saw growth in the previous year, while it also found that half of businesses hired graduates and a third hired apprentices. In addition to that, a report by Tech Nation found that just over a quarter of all job openings in Manchester were for tech roles.