For almost a year, T Connect students have been joining us in the Manchester Digital office and getting a taste of what it really means to build a career in tech.
It’s been a pleasure to have them with us. We’ve seen their curiosity, eagerness and passion for technology, as well as their confidence grow as they’ve had the opportunity to learn from people working in the industry and get hands-on experience of the world of work.
But the success of T Connect has never been something Manchester Digital could deliver alone.
At its heart, T Connect is about building meaningful connections between technical education and the technology sector. That means giving students opportunities to meet people working in the industry, understand the different careers available to them and, crucially, put their skills into practice in real-world environments.
Over the past year, businesses and individuals from across our community have helped make that possible in a huge variety of ways - from industry insight sessions and technical masterclasses to mentoring, work experience, office visits and live business projects.
Building practical technical skills
Our students had the opportunity to learn directly from industry professionals, developing their technical knowledge and getting insight into the tools and approaches used in the workplace.
Hyperact - Jacob Clark, Director of Engineering, delivered a JavaScript masterclass, helping students strengthen their practical technical knowledge.
Ben Halliwell - supported T Connect as a freelance industry professional, delivering a session on GitHub and its use within collaborative software development.
Phininder from Traversally — delivered a vibe coding masterclass, introducing students to new approaches to building with AI.
Phoenix Digital — supported students with their accessibility work, reviewing their website accessibility assessments and providing feedback to help them strengthen their understanding of accessible digital design and development.
BAE Systems - Simon and Harriet delivered a careers talk, exploring some of the different routes into the industry for our students.
Phoenix Digital - supported students with their accessibility work, reviewing their website accessibility assessments and providing feedback to help them strengthen their understanding of accessible digital design and development.
Students also joined a Grad Recharge session with IF Agents, exploring digital marketing and content, alongside an Autotrader data masterclass.
Mentoring and real-world experience
One of the most valuable parts of T Connect has been giving students access to professionals who can share their experience, answer questions and help them understand what working in tech is really like.
Nimble Approach provided technical mentors who supported and reviewed students' work, alongside an in-person session focused on teamwork, professional projects and how digital teams work together.
Junaid from Brace Tech gave several weeks of his time as a technical mentor, making himself available for calls and mentoring sessions while students worked on their projects.
Hippo Digital provided 36-day industry placements, giving students the opportunity to experience life within a professional digital team and contribute to real workplace activity.
Taking on real industry projects
Students also had the opportunity to move beyond simulated classroom projects and work on challenges designed and delivered by real businesses.
Amazon provided the final three-week, full-time project, giving students the opportunity to work together and apply the skills they had developed throughout the programme.
AND Digital set the students a real project and hosted an in-person presentation event, giving them the opportunity to showcase their work and receive feedback from industry professionals.
These experiences helped students understand not just the technical side of a career in technology, but the collaboration, communication, problem solving and project management that sit alongside it.
Opening the doors to industry
Getting students into real workplaces is another important part of helping them understand the breadth of opportunities available across the digital sector.
Deloitte hosted a hackathon, giving students experience of collaborative problem solving and working on a time-bound industry challenge.
Nimble Approach welcomed students for an in-person session focused on teamwork, professional projects and how digital teams work together.
Slalom hosted an early careers office visit, giving students an insight into the workplace and different routes into the digital sector.
EA Playdemic opened the doors to its studio for a tour featuring talks, activities and insight into careers across games and technology.
Together, these experiences help turn the idea of a career in tech into something tangible. Students can meet people doing the jobs they are interested in, ask questions and start building the professional networks that can be so important when taking those first steps into a career.
A huge thank you
None of this would be possible without the businesses and individuals who are willing to invest their time, expertise and energy in the next generation.
A massive thank you to everyone who contributed to T Connect over the past year.
Sessions: Hyperact, Ben Halliwell, Phininder from Traversally, IF Agents, Phoenix Digital, BAE Systems and Autotrader.
Mentoring and placements: Nimble Approach, Brace Tech, Hippo Digital, Amazon and AND Digital.
Office visits and industry experiences: Deloitte, Nimble Approach, Slalom and EA Playdemic.
And a thank you to the colleges who worked with us to connect students to these opportunities - Tameside College, The Manchester College, Hopwood Hall College and Wigan & Leigh College.
T Connect is a great example of what can happen when education and industry work together - and we're incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped make it happen.
Get involved
T Connect is just one of the ways businesses can support the next generation of digital talent through Manchester Digital.
Through Switchboard, our platform for connecting businesses with opportunities to share their expertise, time and experience, there are plenty of ways to get involved — from mentoring and work experience to speaking, skills development and supporting our early talent programmes.
If your organisation wants to help create opportunities for the next generation and play a role in strengthening the region’s digital talent pipeline, get involved with Switchboard and see how you can support future Manchester Digital programmes.
