Manchester Digital has announced a full re-launch and re-brand of its annual Digital Skills Festival, taking place in February 2025.
For over a decade, the Digital Skills Festival has been a cornerstone event, uniting the tech community across Greater Manchester. Now it has been re-designed for a new era to help propel the growth of the regional tech sector.
Katie Gallagher OBE, Manchester Digital’s managing director, said: “With a new Government focused on Apprenticeship Levy reform and the development of Skills England, it’s vital that the region and the tech sector have a strong voice in shaping new skills and tech policies."
“Manchester, one of Europe’s fastest-growing tech hubs, is home to over 86,000 tech professionals and the Digital Skills Festival is the perfect platform to reflect and focus on the workforce that we need to build and skill for the future. It’s an opportunity for tech businesses to showcase their commitment to innovation, diversity and community impact while strengthening the link between industry and education.”
This year's festival will focus on key themes—pathways into technology, talent, diversity, leadership, and of course, skills. The event runs from Monday, February 10 to Friday, February 14, at three iconic cultural venues which will be transformed into hubs of innovation, talent, and leadership.
Highlights include a celebration of diversity led by our flagship programme Digital Her, the return of the ever-successful Talent Day with an emphasis on early pathway options, an exciting tech competition for school-aged children and an exclusive VIP Leaders Evening, called Digital Skills Feast to wrap up the week in style.
The new branding has been designed by Stockport-based creative agency GOTO Creative and is vibrant, modern and dynamic. Through its use of colourful graphic iconography and contemporary portrait imagery, it is reflective of the diverse digital communities it represents.
Alison Ross, chair of the Manchester Digital Board and chief people and operations officer at Auto Trader, added, “The Digital Skills Festival brings together the tech sector and looks at how we can collectively work together to encourage more tech talent, increase diversity within the sector and grow innovation.
“Developing a talent pathway and bringing in new entrants to the tech industry with the right key skills is paramount to the growth of the whole sector across our region.”
We are thrilled to be welcoming AtkinsRéalis as our Festival Headline Sponsor for 2025.
Sam Stephens, Head of Digital says "AtkinsRéalis is proud to celebrate Manchester's thriving tech community as Headline Festival Sponsor of the 2025 Digital Skills Festival. Our North West teams are forging ahead with the digital innovation needed to deliver sustainable infrastructure, nuclear and clean energy, and we're looking forward to sharing the wealth of our career opportunities in Manchester to help power a net zero future."
Festival overview:
Monday, February 10, 2025 - Future Innovators
New to the Digital Skills Festival 2025, we kick off the week by celebrating the future stars of the tech industry—young innovators from across Greater Manchester.
This event is the final of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Schools Competition, a prestigious event designed to push boundaries in technical education, delivered by Teen Tech. The day will showcase the finalists and their projects, and they will then be presenting their work to a panel of judges including the Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and senior execs from Amazon.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 - Digital Her Day: Driving Diversity
Digital Her: Driving Diversity offers an inclusive, interactive alternative to the traditional conference, featuring action-learning workshops, topic-focused panels, guest speakers, and meaningful networking opportunities.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025 - Talent Day
Talent Day is our flagship event, attracting over 2000 attendees, with a focus on early careers and pathways into the tech industry. Taking place at New Century Hall, this day offers unparalleled opportunities for brand visibility, talent acquisition, and skill-sharing.
Thursday, February 13, 2025 - Digital Skills Feast: A VIP Leaders Evening and Dinner
An exclusive gathering of leaders, policymakers, and change makers at a regional and national level at The Revolution Gallery at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI).
Friday, February 14, 2025: We Love Digital Skills - A Digital Week in Review
Friday is dedicated to celebrating the week’s successes with a digital reflection on everything we love about skills in the tech sector.
To find out more about the festival, visit the Skills Festival website.
If you'd like to find out how your business can get involved with the festival, download our sponsorship pack.
