2024 has been another hugely impactful year so far for Manchester Digital, the industry body representing Greater Manchester's thriving digital and tech sector.
From February’s Digital Skills Festival to the support we offer women in tech and the region’s startup community, Manchester Digital continues to be a driving force for positive change in the North West digital ecosystem.
Talent development and career support
This year’s Digital Skills Festival showcased Manchester Digital's dedication to nurturing talent and connecting future talent with businesses across the sector. This year’s Talent Day took over Bridgewater Hall, with 2,000 students, graduates and jobseekers signed up to meet 40 exhibiting businesses, whilst our CV clinic provided support and advice to 135 individuals.
Our apprenticeship programme continues to go from strength to strength, with 32 apprentices supported as they enter the talent pipeline across 3 higher level digital apprenticeship pathways.
Meanwhile, we’ve also supported the Greater Manchester Colleges Group’s digital innovation project, helping to connect education and industry and focusing on Improving and informing quality, employer engagement activities, and student and educator industry opportunities.
Leading the charge for diversity & inclusion
A core pillar of Manchester Digital's mission is fostering greater diversity and inclusion across Greater Manchester's tech landscape. The Digital Her initiative continues to break down barriers, and has launched the new Digital Her apprenticeship programme for aspiring female software developers starting this summer.
Meanwhile, 407 girls and women have been supported across various Digital Her initiatives such as at our first Digital Her Day at the Digital Skills Festival and the International Women's Day event in March..
On the apprenticeship front as a whole, Manchester Digital is helping open doors for the next generation of diverse digital talent and our recent cohorts have seen 14% identify as neurodiverse, 31% as women, 4% as non-binary, and 38% as ethnically diverse.
Igniting innovation through events
Our Digital Skills Festival is Manchester Digital’s flagship event, this year drawing 3,200 sign ups to an ambitious week-long program that included dedicated days to apprenticeships and Digital Her as well as our annual Conference and Talent Day. Across the week we worked closely with 13 sponsors from business to academia and local government, and gave opportuniteis to 90 speakers, panellists and facilitators.
Other major events hosted so far this year include the annual Ecommerce Conference which was held at No.1 Circle Square in March, attracting nearly 200 ecommerce leaders and experts to discuss the latest trends and innovations in the sector.
Supporting the full ecosystem
Manchester Digital's impact extends across the full lifecycle of the region's innovation ecosystem. Our Startup Activator program continues to grow and has seen 90 founders join the initiative whilst we’ve hosted 4 events so far in 2024.
Vibrant community engagement
Manchester Digital's vibrant community engagement is evident through its diverse array of events and initiatives. Hosting a total of 21 events, Manchester Digital continues to provide a platform for knowledge-sharing, networking, and collaboration.
With members actively sharing news, events, and job opportunities on our website, Manchester Digital's online community serves as a hub for connectivity and resource-sharing.
What's next?
As Greater Manchester's digital economy continues to evolve, Manchester Digital remains committed to fostering the talent, inclusion, and cross-sector collaboration driving that transformation forward, even through difficult economic times.
We've got some very exciting things coming up for the rest of 2024, and there’s never been a better time to join our community and support the work we do whilst benefiting from a wide range of benefits for your business.
