Government-backed organisation Tech North has launched a new initiative to fill 24 junior developer roles in just 24 hours.
Working in partnership with employers from across the region, Tech North – part of Tech City UK – is aiming to raise the profile of the digital skills challenge facing the North of England.
Applications for the positions, which require little or no prior experience, close at midnight on 26th March and are available here. The selection and interview process will be completed on 27th March.
There are opportunities from Merseyside to Lancashire, Cheshire to Yorkshire and Teesside to Tyne on Wear.
“Forging ahead in digital is key to the future of our region, but businesses are unable to fill the roles struggling to source the talent they need,” explained Richard Gregory, chair of the Tech North Advisory Board.
“Many young people are unaware of the abundance of digital jobs in the North and may be put off by the misperception that these roles ‘aren’t for them’.
“Well-paid digital jobs are going unfilled and people remain in low-skilled jobs at risk of automation.
“As well as showcasing the opportunities presented by the digital sector, this campaign is about celebrating the quality of life that comes with living and working in the region.”
We’ll be filling 24 jobs in 24 hours. But we need your help…https://t.co/m8Z1GDeyFe pic.twitter.com/gUEz3KfjGW
— Tech North (@TechNorthHQ) March 16, 2018
The Northern Digital Jobs Strategy report revealed that there are currently 168,671 digital tech workers across the North, with 712,750 vacancies being advertised across the region over the past three years.
This means that 1.4 jobs are being advertised for each current worker in digital tech, even though salaries are 48 per cent higher than the national average.
Tech North has been in operation since 2014 and has worked closely to accelerate the growth of the tech sector in five Northern cities. In November 2017, Prime Minister Theresa May pledged support for the expansion of Tech City UK and Tech North into Tech Nation. The newly formed organisation will launch in April 2018.
Two Manchester-headquartered agencies, Citypress and Social Chain, have partnered with Tech North to drive awareness of the campaign.
Andy Poole, director at Citypress, commented: “This is an exciting opportunity to bring together employers from across the region, to address one of their key challenges and find the next generation of talent in digital tech.
“We’re taking an innovative new approach to start conversations about digital tech, and to make the sector relevant and appealing to young people.”