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Digital Jobs Fair launched to connect Devon employers with local talent

The government-funded Train4Tomorrow programme is running a Digital Jobs Fair on Wednesday 16 March 2022, to connect employers with local adults who have recently completed a digital bootcamp to gain in-demand skills.

The South West is facing a skills shortage. The rapid growth of the digital sector has led to businesses struggling to find the skilled people they need to meet their demand, and businesses across the region are facing recruitment challenges. The Train4Tomorrow programme aims to tackle the skills crisis by offering adults access to fully-funded training in in-demand areas.

Train4Tomorrow digital and technical bootcamps are available to employed and unemployed adults in Devon, Plymouth, Somerset, Torbay, Cornwall and Dorset, and over 1,000 people have benefitted from the training so far. The bootcamps have been designed to help local people advance or pivot their skills into growing sectors which are becoming increasingly important.

The latest cohort of Train4Tomorrow bootcamps are now concluding, and an online jobs fair is being held on Wednesday 16 March from 9am to 1pm, to connect local employers with the highly-skilled talent completing the bootcamps.

The free-to-attend jobs fair will give employers the opportunity to talk to the 250 learners who have been invited. The learners have invested in their skills and successfully completed an intensive 12-16 week bootcamp in areas including cyber, IT, programming, app development, digital marketing, and agile project management.

Claire Coulston, Digital Skills Programme Coordinator at Train4Tomorrow, says: “The Train4Tomorrow bootcamps have been designed to help meet industry needs, and close the skills gap in the South West. Connecting employers with the talent in the region is the next, crucial step, and we’re delighted to be running this free, online jobs fair to bring together local companies and these highly-skilled learners.”

Troy Wheeler, from Paignton, recently completed a Train4Tomorrow IT Readiness bootcamp, delivered by training specialists Bluescreen IT, and has since gone on to land his dream role with local technology support specialists Timewade.

Troy Wheeler said: “After returning to the UK from a job in South Korea, I was looking for courses and work experience opportunities. I came across the Train4Tomorrow IT Readiness course with Bluescreen IT, which offered me the chance to learn ITF+ , A+ , Network+ and Security+ for free! The IT Readiness bootcamp prepared me with the skills needed to work in an IT role where I spend every day working with clients on their IT.”

Jordan Westcott, Operations Director at Timewade, said: “Being able to hire highly-skilled learners straight from courses like these has been fantastic, and helped us continue to grow our team and our business. Troy joined us with the essential skills necessary for the role, and really hit the ground running.”

Local employers are invited to have their own virtual table at the fair, where they can showcase their business, promote vacancies, and meet with potential candidates. There will also be opportunities to hear from inspiring keynote speakers within the tech industry and beyond.

To find out more about the jobs fair, and to register to have a virtual table, visit www.bitpoweredevents.com/

To find out more about Train4Tomorrow, visit www.train4tomorrow.org.uk