Discovering Digital World is a partnership between national youth charity Young Scot and My World of Work, Skills Development Scotland’s online careers information and advice service.
Aimed primarily at secondary school pupils in year groups s1-s3, the innovative series of events will provide attendees with hands-on workshops, masterclasses and engaging demonstrations testing out products and dabbling in coding, design and developing.
The roadshow will visit eight towns and cities across Scotland and there will also be sessions for careers influencers such as parents and teachers.
The events are part of the Digital World initiative, a campaign to promote careers in the digital technology industry which has been developed by the sector in partnership with Skills Development Scotland.
There will be an opportunity for attendees to meet a whole range of employers to find out about routes into the industry and discover just how rewarding a career in tech can be, with job earnings regularly above the national average.
The interactive events for young people will feature engaging demonstrations, input from industry professionals and master classes with employers. Running at the same time, there will also be sessions for teachers, providing them with skills and information to enable them to better engage with employers and create opportunities.
My World of Work will also be running dedicated evening sessions for parents and guardians in the same venues as the schools events. These events will aim to answer questions about the ICT and digital technology industry, the job opportunities available and routes in, from university courses to modern apprenticeships.
The roadshow will visit areas from the Highlands to the Scottish Borders with a focus on places where it may be more difficult to access national ICT and digital technologies careers events.
Young Scot is Scotland’s national youth information and citizenship charity. It provides young people, aged 11-26, with a mixture of information, ideas and incentives to help them become confident, informed and active citizens.
Louise Macdonald, CEO of Young Scot, said: “Every young person should have the opportunity to learn about the careers available to them regardless of where they live. That’s why this project, delivered through Digital World in association with My World of Work, is so vital. It is a fantastic opportunity to reach these young people and make them aware of the amazing digital careers, learning and training that are on offer to them.”
Claire Gillespie, Key Sector Manager for ICT and Digital Technologies at Skills Development Scotland, said: “The tech industry is one of the most exciting and rapidly evolving sectors in Scotland and there’s a whole range of industries, from fashion to music, that rely on digital and technology professionals to underpin what they do.
“Parents and teachers play a vital role in helping young people make career decisions so I am pleased that we are able to run dedicated sessions for each of those groups.
“Our digital technology sector has great potential to grow even further in years to come so I am hopeful that these events will inspire more people to follow a career in digital technology by shining a light on the many opportunities on offer.”
A Skills Investment Plan for Scotland’s ICT and Digital Technologies Sector was launched last year, backed by £6.6 million from the Digital Scotland Business Excellence Partnership. The plan identified the potential for 11,000 job opportunities in Scotland each year until 2020, often paying well above average.