IT Skills Strategy

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Skills Strategy Sponsors

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The North East Independent Economic Review (the Lord Adonis Report)highlighted a number of key aims, these included:

• more higher skilled and higher paid jobs• creating better quality opportunities for young people to prosper• development of strong innovation and growth clusters• doubling the amount of apprenticeships• creating four University Technical Colleges• identifying demand for services in the North East for the “new

economy” (Digital Media, Telecoms & Software)

These are all aims that can be related to and supported by the North East IT industry.

Dynamo is the North East industry led IT cluster initiative whose focus is to grow the North East IT economy. Our strategy for growth and skills is in line with the key aims above.

Background

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Dynamo

Dynamo was set up with four main aims:

• be a focal point for regional IT growth• promote our region externally• support regional research and development• develop skills and education

This presentation focuses on developing skills and education.

A recent Dynamo survey showed that over 32,000 people currently work in the North East IT sector and there are almost 2,000 vacancies that need filling.

To ensure the region can continue to deliver a steady stream of skilled employees into the IT sector Dynamo has reached out to various schools, colleges, universities, councils, business support organisations, & IT businesses to create an IT skills strategy for the North East.

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Skills Strategy Aims

Only 4% of 15 year olds in the UK want careers in engineering and computing ...… placing the UK 35th out of 37 countries in an OECD survey.

The aim of the Dynamo North East IT skills strategy is to:

‒ Significantly increase the reservoir of young people who want to join the IT industry

‒ to ensure young people have the technology skills to prepare them for a career in IT

‒ to ensure there is an ongoing close and productive link between business and education

Creating a comprehensive and long-term IT skills strategy, which links business and education will make the North East region unique in the UK, and will be the foundation for growing the North East IT sector.

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Strategy

The North East IT skills strategy covers the following:

o Primary schoolso Secondary schoolso Increase the number of Females in ITo Vocational schoolso Colleges and Universitieso Apprenticeso Focus on Social Value

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The future’s here already…

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Primary Schools• Encourage more young people into IT• Spark excitement and interest in IT at an early age

AIM: Coding Club (computer programming skills) and Maker Club (make physical products using computer components) in every primary school in the North East.

Can you help with the direct delivery of:‒ clubs in schools?‒ teaching for teachers/parents/voluntary support sector?

Join in with the movers, shakers and makers…..

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Primary Schools

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Secondary SchoolsAIM:Build on the foundations created at primary schoolWork closely with Secondary schools in the following areas:

• develop and support IT projects• help secondary schools enrich and build on existing IT Curriculum• provide taster days in IT businesses• provide IT career advice sessions• highlight the long term, highly skilled, well paid long-term IT career opportunities• present to parents, showcasing IT as a career• showcase role models• providing mentors for young people• create YouTube videos, showcasing the North East IT industry and careers available

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Unleash the great minds of tomorrow

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Subtle messages we send to girls…

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Increase the number of Females in IT

Women comprise of 46% of the UK workforce.

Women hold just 15.5% of jobs in STEM fields.

2013: 1 in 6 (16%) of 1,129,000 people working as IT specialists in the UK were women

753,000 people working in the IT sector just 1 in 5 (20%) were women

2013: 1 in 10 (11%) IT specialists were women

e-skills Women in IT Scorecard June 2014: http://www.e-skills.com/research/research-publications/women-in-it/

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To increase the number of females in technical roles we need to:

• Create more Computer Clubs For Girls

• Provide more female mentoring by supporting initiatives such as Girl Geeks who are looking to create a Girl Geek Campus across Universities, Colleges and UTCs (initial North East pilot).

• Supporting STEMettes events, such as Technology and Girls

Action

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Building the Talent Pipeline

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“If we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, we’ve got to open doors for everyone. 

We need all hands on deck, and that means clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers

in science, technology, engineering, and math.”

Michelle Obama

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Vocational Schools

We are going to see more schools that base their curriculum on more vocationaltraining. For example:

Studio West; The first North East Studio School

Discovery School; Focusing on STEM subjects

University Technical Colleges (UTCs); The Adonis Report aims to have four North East UTCs Initial thoughts and ideas: Tyneside: IT & Design Durham: Medical & IT Sunderland: Advanced Manufacturing & IT Teesside: Process/Chemical & IT

Code Colleges: e.g. Newcastle College’s Digital Skills Career Academy

As an industry we need to reach out and support each of these Vocational Schools

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University Technology Colleges

• 14 – 18 year olds• Focuses on technology training in addition to National Curriculum• Typically focuses on one or two technologies• Requires - University Sponsor

- Business Partners• 14 – 16 years: 40% Technology 60% National Curriculum• 16 – 18 years: 60% Technology 40% National Curriculum• 50 UTCs have been approved in England – none in the North East• Only one IT based UTC in England: UTC Reading

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Colleges & UniversitiesAt the Higher Education level it is vitally important that industry supportseducation through:• being part of advisory committees• providing input into curriculums• delivering lectures• providing work experience, through summer placements, sandwich course experience, internships• supporting projects• providing information about job opportunities

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ApprenticesApprenticeships are a great way into the IT industry – but we need more.

We need to spread the word about the advantages of apprentices and make it easier for SMEs to take-on apprentices.

Large firms need to provide more support to SMEs to help them take-on apprentices.

A key next step is to create a not-for-profit IT Apprentice Hub which assists IT businesses in taking on apprentices.

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Focus on Social ValueIn developing our IT Skills strategy we will also focus on social inclusion and social value.

We will look to support the Development and Growth of the Third Sector in IT. 

As well as being the right thing to do it also makes good business sense, for example it will ensure compliance with the Social Value Act which came into force in 2013.

Our skills strategy will therefore have a social value.

We will look to work with and support areas of social inclusion, for example work with organisations such as the Prince’s Trust and Autism Works.

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SummaryTo increase the reservoir of young people we need a long term approach to the IT skills agenda.

We need to ensure we have close collaboration and co-ordination between business and education.

We need to obtain backing for this approach from education, business, councils, support organisations (e.g. LEP support).

There needs to be a ‘call to arms’ to the IT industry to work with education.

We will create a “matching service” between volunteers in the North East IT Industry and those schools, colleges etc who need business assistance, e.g. Code Clubs.