The only date for your diary - Friday 22nd September 2023
By Sarah Cronk
We're excited to finally announce Friday 22nd September as the date for Eastbourne DigiFest, at the Devonshire Quarter's Welcome Building.
This will be THE big event for digital in Eastbourne this year and we can't wait.
Please add this to your diaries and keep it free - we really want to see you there!
Now let's get you as excited and inspired as we are... take a look at our video!
A Chat With: Kim Byford at the Talent Accelerator Programme
To kick off the New Year, we spoke to Kim Byford who heads up the Talent Accelerator Programme from the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill.
We discovered...
🏑 ...how Talent Accelerator is aiming to level the playing field for work experience and volunteering
🔗 ...how Kim's background fitted perfectly for her role leading the programme
💪 ...what getting young people "employment-ready" really means
💰 ...how it's easier than you think to provide valuable learning experiences as a business
Read the full interview for all this and more!
Supporting employers and learners
To tie in with our interview with Kim, we wanted to feature even more of the great work going on in Eastbourne and beyond to support connections between employers and learners.
Here are just some of the other schemes and events out there. If you would like to participate in a programme, either as an employer or student, please reach out to the relevant provider:
The iCan careers event for students with barriers to accessing mainstream events will be back on Wednesday 8th March at the Towner Gallery. With representatives from local businesses, training and education providers hosting stalls, students will be able to find out about future careers in a reassuring environment.
If you're an East Sussex employer looking to make a difference in your community, you can help those living in supported and temporary accommodation to secure an apprenticeship or employment. Candidates receive help achieving a living wage, prospects, pre-work training and in-work mentoring, and practical support securing permanent accommocation.
This programme aims to address current and future skills gaps by increasing the take-up and knowledge of apprenticeships, traineeships and skills training in SMEs across the county.
If you want to play your part as a business in supporting and shaping young people's careers, you can volunteer as an Industry Champion to help in all sorts of ways - from mock interviews, to mentoring schemes, workplace tours, or talks. Any support is welcome - contact the East Sussex Careers Hub to get involved: Enterprise.Coordinator@eastsussex.gov.uk.
If you haven't yet heard of T-Levels, they are two-year courses equivalent to three A-Levels, and include a three-month industry placement as part of the course. This gives valuable practical skills for progression into employment, apprenticeship or university. The first cohort of Digital T-Level students at East Sussex College have completed their courses and of the 7 participants, 3 have gone straight into employment and the other 4 have gone onto further study at university. Find out more about T-Levels at ESCG here.
What will the future workforce look like?
East Sussex County Council has commissioned the Institute for Employment Studies to look at the make up of the East Sussex workforce and the skills needed over the coming 5-10 years.
If you can provide further input into what the sector needs, including with regard to the Net Zero Agenda, a tree will be planted for your response - find it here.
Deep Dive on Creative and Cultural kicks off
Last year you may recall the Deep Dive into Digital study carried out by Dan Wallman and the Local Skills Improvement Plan. This year, the focus is on the Creative and Cultural sector.
Drop Dan a message to get involved and share your thoughts.
One last thing...
We're thinking about having a stall as Chalk Eastbourne at the Big Futures Show on Tuesday 25th April at Eastbourne Sports Park.
Would any friends of Chalk like to share this stand and attend for some/all of the day to speak to students about working in digital? Drop us a line if you can help out.
