Imagine the Digital Possibilities

Imagine the Digital Possibilities

Delivered in partnership with the Somerset Education Business Partnership & Discovery; this project aims at addressing skills gaps in Somerset’s thriving Digital sector and will run from 2024-2026.

  • The County’s Digital sector contributes significantly to the economy but struggles to find qualified talent.
  • Limited awareness among young people, especially those disadvantaged or with SEND, hinders potential career exploration.
  • The County’s thriving Digital sector is dominated by small to medium sized enterprises many of which lack capacity to engage with education.  As a result, too many young people are unaware of excellent Digital career opportunities.
  • Geographical constraints and lack of transport options further restrict access to training and employment for many.
  • Limited Higher Education options within the county (Somerset has no University), contribute to the “brain drain” of skilled young adults away from Somerset. 
Microsoft Coding SEN Workshop Case Study

The Digital Project Key Aims Include :

  • Creating opportunities for young people to engage with a wide range of national and local employers & partners to develop their skills and raise awareness of pathways in to employment that require digital skills.
  • Create opportunities for our SME & Micro business to engage with careers education
  • Create a Digital Supported Internship to provide a pathway for learners with SEND to enter the digital sector
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Year 1 24/25 – Key Highlights

  • The creation of a supported internship; co delivered between UCS College Group, Yeovil College & SS&L
  • Coding workshops delivered in partnership with Microsoft – 89% of students in SEND schools highlighted they wanted to do more coding but only 29% of them knew a digital business in Somerset. Compared to Mainstream; 95% said they wanted to do more coding and 89% said they knew a digital business in Somerset.  Link to case study.
  • SEND work experience with Ductu – 105 young people from our SEND schools took part in an experience of the workplace related to digital – with a 92% satisfaction rate from students & a 100% rating from staff.
  • Centralised Work Experience Yeovil: Delivered in conjunction with Numatic, Yeovil College, Techosaurus & Leonardo at the iAero centre; this saw students engage in robotics, VR Welding, AI an consider their next steps after school. 83% of students believed they developed their creative and problem-solving skills; with 78% saying they felt more optimistic about their next steps.
  • Centralised Work Experience Taunton: Delivered in conjunction with Sedegmoor FM, Hatched Agency, Bouncing Bean, Sparx, UKHO, EDF & Taunton college at the Firepool Centre for Digital Innovation; this saw students engage in podcasting, app development AI and consider their next steps. 89% of students believed they developed their creative and problem-solving skills; with 79% saying they felt more optimistic about their next steps.  Link to the video

Year 2 25/26 – Second Year Project Includes:

  • The launch of the supported internship
  • Continuation of the Microsoft Coding workshops
  • AI Workshops delivered by AI in schools
  • Increasing the centralised WEX programme from 2 to 4 venues– to reach more young people across the county with weeks planned across Bridgwater & Shepton Mallet.
  • Continuing to work with Ductu to deliver experiences of the workplace for our SEND learners
  • Digital Sustainability Conference
  • Go-Pro competition to highlight work experience for our SEND schools
  • Christmas Lecture at Bristol Cathedral in partnership with Cyber First

Coming soon for year 3….

To find out more about this project and how you could get involved, please contact Rob Morrish [email protected]