Digital Futures Ambassadors
Roadshows to showcase digital job opportunities across West Sussex
Jobseekers, career shifters and anyone with an interest in digital skills will get the chance to meet with employers and learn about the vast range of opportunities for digital careers in West Sussex at new interactive roadshows this spring.
Digital Futures West Sussex, a new programme launched to connect local businesses with talented jobseekers, is running nine free roadshows this year, with the first three events taking place across the county in March and April.
The first roadshow will be at Audio Active in Worthing on Monday 20th March, followed by further roadshows at the South Downs Centre in Midhurst on Tuesday 18th April and at East Court in East Grinstead on Thursday 27th April. Each event will take place from 4pm to 7pm.
The roadshows will showcase the best digital opportunities in the county, with local businesses attending to present their success stories and talk about their work, as well as advising on routes into digital jobs, the roles available and the benefits and salaries associated with digital careers. Attendees will be able to meet with a diverse range of business people from different sectors and find out about relevant courses to support career development.
There will be talks from business leaders and each ambassador for Digital Futures West Sussex will be attending the roadshow in their area to share their insights on the skills and experience needed to pursue digital careers.
Mark Bullen, managing director of GB Electronics and Digital Futures ambassador in Arun, Adur and Worthing, said: “In coastal West Sussex alone there are so many exciting opportunities for digital roles, from the increasing number of smaller businesses with growing digital requirements to the large blue-chip organisations that have structured career paths.
“The Digital Futures programme is all about connecting these businesses with talented people and supporting those looking for roles to upskill. If you’re interested in the possibilities of a digital career, please come along to our roadshows where you can speak with employers directly and learn about the variety of opportunities in digital, the skills they’re looking for and how you can get started.”
In Chichester and Horsham Districts the Digital Futures ambassador is Luke Mead, chief executive of LMS Group.
Luke said: “You don’t have to go to London to have a digital career - there are many businesses here in exciting industries where you can make a significant impact.
“Don’t assume digital roles are not an option if you don’t consider yourself a tech wizard either – soft skills are just as important. Our Digital Futures roadshows will be the perfect opportunity to find out more about the variety of career possibilities in digital and where they could take you.”
Barney Durrant, ambassador for Crawley and Mid Sussex, who runs digital marketing company Bluebell Digital, said: "Across Mid Sussex and Crawley there are many companies that need people with digital skills from small marketing and web agencies to large companies with a range of digital roles, such as those in the travel sector based around Gatwick Airport.
“The Digital Future roadshows will be a fantastic opportunity for jobseekers and those looking to try a new career to connect with these employers and understand how they can use their existing digital skills or transfer their past experience across to a new career.
“Local employers are looking out for people ready to take up these exciting digital roles in West Sussex and there is no longer the need to travel out of the county to London or Brighton to have a successful career in digital or tech."
The Digital Futures West Sussex programme is jointly funded by West Sussex County Council and the West Sussex District and Borough Councils. The programme aims to reduce the unfilled digital job vacancies in the county, support upskilling to help local people get digital jobs, and highlight the increasing opportunities that West Sussex offers for those with digital skills.
It is delivered by local strategic consultancy Always Possible with support from the three Digital Futures ambassadors, working in partnership with education providers and business networks to connect jobseekers, those seeking a career change, graduates and students with trainers and businesses.
Digital Futures West Sussex is looking for businesses to support the roadshows, where they can meet potential talent in an open forum of discussion, join a facilitated panel or take part in a talk on tackling challenges and removing barriers to growth and investment. Visit www.digitalfuturesws.co.uk to find out more about how to get involved.
To register to attend the Digital Futures West Sussex roadshows, visit the Eventbrite pages via the Digital Futures West Sussex website. To find out more, please visit: www.digitalfuturesws.co.uk.