Talent4Tech, the third day of Wales Tech Week, was a game-changer for school pupils, students, graduates, career changers, and tech enthusiasts, as it enabled them get up-close and personal with the future of technology and tech-driven careers.
With STEM Day (Nov 8) just around the corner, there can be no doubt that technology has advanced significantly in the last few years, but there is an ongoing worldwide skills gap. This lack of trained workers for upcoming technology-focused jobs is a concern for a number of industries. Many believe that targeting students at grassroots level to raise awareness of tech and data-related roles is one solution, giving a high profile to careers that focus on skills in STEM subjects.
Talent4Tech welcomed close to 1,000 attendees, who enjoyed expert panels across five stages, conversations with exhibitors and employers, and the popular demo zones, with queues for the virtual reality experiences and the cyber security escape room.
Employers including Aurora, Sony UK TEC, Companies House, de Novo Solutions, PwC, Box UK, and Thales were among those talking to the ‘tech-curious’ attending the event.
Speaking from Wales Tech Week, John-Paul Barker, Regional Market Leader for PwC in Wales and the West of England, said: “This week, we’ve announced that we’re creating 1,000 digital and tech jobs for the future in areas such as cloud, cyber, Fintech and managed services here in Cardiff; the pool of diverse talent that we see here in South Wales gives us the confidence we need to make that commitment.
“In South Wales, we see a group of local stakeholders including the Welsh Government, Cardiff Council and Cardiff Capital Region, who are working together to drive the development of skills – another reason we are confident in growing in Wales.
“We see the Talent4Tech day at Wales Tech Week as a great way for us to meet and inspire the talented and diverse tech-curious people we need to recruit.”
Online attendees across the UK and internationally can now catch up with recorded sessions by registering through Wales Tech Week’s platform partner Haia via https://event.haia.live/event/599.
