Three times a year our Employers' Forum meet-up
Their remit is
- To develop a strategic plan for linking industry and education.
- To identify key issues arising from the Digital Skills Survey for action or lobbying.
- To share data and best practice on the matter such as employee benefits, remuneration trends, maternity and paternity leave, pay flexible working, employee engagement, staff retention, and employment policy.
This week saw representatives from some of our members including Auto Trader, N Brown, Cloud Technology Solutions and Money Supermarket Group, to name but a few, come in to discuss the issues affecting the industry, share their collective experiences, and help to shape our strategic goals in relation to our digital talent and skills agenda.
We thought we’d provide a roundup of the event.
What was discussed?
Scott Young and Emma Fallon from RedEye updated the forum on the changes Red Eye have made that have revolutionised their appraisal's process.
Slides - RIP Appraisals from RedEye
MoneySupermarket Group's Anna Jakielaszek then provided valuable insight into the work done at her organisation to improve Diversity and Inclusion.
1) Visits from The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and Number 10
Katie Gallagher, Manchester Digital’s Managing Director updated the forum on a recent visit from the Number 10 Policy Unit. There was also information shared on upcoming visits from local and central government in which Manchester Digital will brief policymakers on the wishes of the Employers’ Forum.
2) Skills Festival 2019 Launch
Emma Grant, Manchester Digital’s Talent and Skills Manager took the opportunity to officially launch the dates for the Skills Festival 2019, in which the findings of the much-anticipated Skills Audit 2019 will be revealed.
The Skills Festival is a must for any companies looking to recruit new talent. If you’d like to participate in Skills Festival 2019, please contact info@manchesterdigital.com for more details.
Digital Futures
Digital Futures is a Manchester Digital programme that supports educators in delivering a curriculum that is effective and relevant to our industry.
The general consensus from the forum was that Digital Futures has been a revelation in enabling the industry to support schools – education bodies have been found to be open and willing to receiving help from Manchester Digital members.
As a result, Digital Futures has helped education bodies' ability to deliver a curriculum that is effective and relevant and also their confidence in providing specialist career insights.
Employers felt the initiative, as well as benefiting the industry long term by improving the talent pipeline, was also a great way for employers to upskill junior members by enabling them to learn mentoring skills whilst on-site visits.
If you’re a business that would like to get involved in Digital Futures, click here
If you’re a school or college that would like to register interest in receiving support, click here.
Teach Too
As part of Digital Futures, Manchester Digital members will be working with FE partners to deliver an innovative curriculum co-design and co-delivery model focusing on a technical BTEC an A-Level Computer Science course as part of a Teach Too project, details of which were discussed at the Employers’ Forum.
Salary Benchmarking and Benefits 2018
The success of last year’s inaugural Manchester Digital Salary Benchmarking and Benefits 2017 Report and the valuable insights gleaned from it meant there was a real appetite from the Employers’ Forum for a new report to be commissioned. This work is a great example of the work of the Employers' Forum in action
Manchester Digital Software Developer Programme
The Manchester Digital Software Developer Apprenticeship Programme is another example of how the Employers’ Forum have helped to develop initiatives that benefit the region's digital and tech community. Having recognised the need to address the software developer shortage, as well as improving the diversity of the region’s tech workforce, we took it upon ourselves to create an industry-led apprenticeship scheme.
Emma updated the forum on the scheme’s impressive progress, with the programme’s third cohort due to start employment this month.
If you’re an employer looking for a software developer apprentice, please email emma@manchesterdigital.com
Would you like to attend the next Employers’ Forum?
Want to be at the table when the issues that matter most to the digital and tech community get discussed?
Find out how you can play a crucial role in shaping the strategic goals of the region's talent and skills' agenda by contacting emma@manchesterdigital.com.
