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Andy Burnham and Matt Dawson endorse Manchester’s status as “The Digital Capital of the UK”

Andy Burnham and Matt Dawson endorse Manchester’s status as “The Digital Capital of the UK”  as delegates analyse team value in transformation, cyber’s central role in scaling, and finding talent in unexpected spaces


Manchester’s status as “the fastest growing digital and tech hub in Europe” can only be maintained through relentless, collaborative ambition - according to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and World Cup winner Matt Dawson.

A new digital blueprint for the Greater Manchester region was unveiled this week at DTX + UCX Manchester 2023 - with the Mayor announcing an educational revamp that will make IT and engineering essential components of early learning experiences and create a new system in which local talent can be nurtured and offer more routes for young people into the tech industry.

Burnham declared the city-region was committed to its mission of improving digital literacy - a move that rugby World Cup winner and fellow keynote speaker Matt Dawson recognised.

“The people and the companies in this room are offering the opportunity for the next generation to come through,” he told his audience on Day Two of DTX Manchester 2023, reflecting on how companies should continue to utilise smarter ways of working to maximise productivity whilst never being afraid to push the limits and try new things.

“There is a significant shift in how we position the workforce at the moment, whether in sport or work, things are completely different when you look at the needs of staff,” Dawson explained.

“I find that exciting.”

He also added: “The best coach I played under told me it’s ok to make a mistake - just don’t make the same mistake twice,”, explaining that working out what your strengths and weaknesses are can take a while but “if you don’t make mistakes, you’re not testing the boundaries.”

“Day-in, day-out there is a relentless nature to elite performance, there is no cheat, no corner to be cut.

“Otherwise you might end up good, but will you be great?”

Dawson also explained that leadership comes in all shapes and sizes - some are vocal, some are strategic, some are young with fresh ideas - and during a fireside chat later in the show, Chris Chamberlain from Paypoint PLC expanded on the importance of creating a multifaceted workforce that embraces different ideologies.

“What will work for one person won’t work for everybody else,” he pointed out, and invited other business owners to consider the abilities and motivations of an employee to determine which tasks they should be assigned.

Andy Norton from Prolific said that creating “Communities of Practice” can work wonders in the tech arena - a philosophy which actively encourages people of similar job roles in different teams to work/spend time together, share their experiences, learn from one another and create a knowledge web.

He also asked companies to “go through the checkpoints” to see if they were meeting values as a team. Whilst the Mayor proved that blueprints are useful for mapping the future, Andy Norton demonstrated they can be equally valuable for monitoring progress, with Prolific consulting their own team blueprint to determine if they were “living up to expectations” and conducting realignment sessions as a result.

Part of building out tech teams and integrating change at scale involves encompassing a cyber focus, and an afternoon Fireside Chat featuring Dell, Intel, Plexal and moveero concluded that building cybersecurity into enterprise architecture was instrumental in breaking down upcoming barriers to transformation.

Another secret recipe for building great teams is by searching in unexpected spaces. Beckie Taylor - the CEO of Manchester-based Tech Returners - encouraged employers to “look into the gap” during the closing session at DTX + UCX Manchester 2023, inviting them to look at investing in people who are coming back into industry after years away.

Three successful graduates of the Tech Returners programme celebrated their achievements on stage - talking about the value of having programmes, resources and development tools that can reignite careers in technology, right here on our doorstep in Manchester.

If anyone wanted proof of Manchester’s status as a European leader in digital and tech, they could find it at DTX + UCX Manchester 2023.

Look out for DTX Europe in October. Register your interest online here.

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About Jargon PR: Jargon PR is an award-winning small international PR agency. It delivers world-class Public Relations campaigns that drive business results and create brand value for clients. The agency’s specialist team delivers unique B2B services and methodology from start-ups to corporates that drive awareness, engagement and sales through targeted PR campaigns.Founded in 2009, Jargon PR has extensive experience in creating global campaigns for technology and corporate companies and delivering a range of services including content creation, media relations, social media and reputation management.Why is Jargon PR different?Jargon PR is not like other Tech PR companies. Its specialist team delivers unique B2B services and methodology. Jargon PR builds international campaigns, working closely with clients to create and deliver personalised action plans to help meet business goals and dominate industries. Results include driving awareness, engagement and sales of client brands. Services: Jargon PR offers a range of services to support clients. Some of the most notable services include: Content creation: As the leading B2B PR agency, Jargon PR knows how to create engaging content for corporate campaigns. The agency’s team of skilled writers works with clients to plan, write and place content with key publications.Media relations: Jargon PR specialists work with dozens of journalists from the national, tech and business media on a day-to-day basis to create opportunities and place content in the media. This drives enquiries, web traffic and engagement for client brands.Executive Profiling: Jargon PR’s executive profiling service creates and manages client brands in the media as well as across professional LinkedIn channels. The agency uses comment and interview opportunities, thought leadership articles, and a social media programme to build a client’s personal reputation.In addition to these services, Jargon PR also offers these types of PR: podcasts, social media, conference speaker, exit, awards, investment,  reputation management, analyst relations, trade show support, messaging, media training, media audit and reporting and management. Jargon PR’s clients: Jargon PR’s client list includes: Pax8, SML RFID, RingOver, Palantir, Beyond Encryption, Creative, Digidentity, Digitopia, Fortude, Retail Marketing Group, Radix, 4D Data Centres, Mackwell Health, Mackwell Lighting, OneClick Cloud, Powerlite Fitzgerald, Meta, Solera, TP-Link, Manchester Tech Week, Rydoo, Agilitas, Glide, Snapplify, DeGould Ltd, Eco UK Group, Presto Music, Realme, Cap HPI, Future Processing, Ancoris, Qualifio, Mindlab International, Cenergist, Quick Channel, SEH Technology, MicroClash, Biral, Designa, DHD Cooling, Rawnet, Snakehive, Leonard Curtis, Cerberus, Everyday Loans, Kemtile, Emerson Orbit Development, and Pod StudiosCompany benefits: Jargon PR offers a range of benefits for its staff, including: A competitive salary Pension schemes Frequent internal and external training, with a team external training budget of £1,000 per year for each employee A membership to the professional bodies, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the Public Relations and Communications Association. This includes enrollment into the CPD programmes of both professional bodies.20 days holiday per year and all bank holidays off, with an additional Christmas shopping day and Birthday lie-inQuarterly team socials- St. Patrick's Day, Summer, Halloween and ChristmasEarly finish Friday’s every week Personalised Chilly’s bottle Diversity and Inclusion:Jargon PR has a strong agency focus on diversity and inclusion, with its CEO being a founding member of the CIPR Diversity and Inclusion Network, which is a group that works towards inclusivity within the PR industry. To support inclusivity throughout the recruitment process, Jargon PR works closely with The Taylor Bennett Foundation, which seeks out PR careers for individuals from BME backgrounds. Wellbeing activity: Jargon PR fosters a culture centred around employee wellbeing, and leverages on several initiatives to create an optimal working environment for its employees. Some of these initiatives include: Frequent one-to-one catch-ups between management and employees. Monthly wellbeing calls to normalise conversations around mental health. Subscription and unlimited access to the CIPR Mental Health Hotline and access to an in house mental health first aider. Frequent team social occasions to ensure Jargon PR employees are interacting beyond work. Jargon PR achieved the Investors in People ‘We Invest in Wellbeing’ Silver accreditation for its efforts towards employee wellbeing. Results: Jargon PR is a multi-award winning agency, and won 6 industry awards in 2021, including ‘PR Agency of the Year’ at the 2021 Global Agency Awards. The agency is ranked in the top 30 of PRWeek UK’s top 150 B2B comms rankings.  Check out the agency’s case studies to see previous client successes: https://jargonpr.com/wp/case-studies/

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