BRADFORD'S first week dedicated to helping young people into careers in digital industries will begin next week

Tech Week has been launched by Bradford Means Business, The Telegraph & Argus, LOCALiQ and tech experts Exa Networks.

Beginning on Monday, October 19, the initiative aims to help close the skills gap, productivity gap, aspiration gap and inequality gap, which have widened in recent years.

As a result of the pandemic the programme will all be online this year, with three workshops taking place throughout the week as well as content hosted on the Virtual Colleges platform.

Tech Week aims to firmly place the idea of tech as a career into the minds of school and college students across the district and challenge them to think about how tech impacts on almost every type of business.

The team behind the initiative have been working closely with the University of Bradford, Bradford College, City Fibre, Exa Networks, Cloud2, Teledyne, BTL, Virtual College, and Emerald, to develop an interactive programme for students and give them a taste of life in the tech sector.

The local businesses involved will effectively be throwing open their doors to students and young people and there will be the programme and workshops as well case studies of different tech roles.

All of the content will be visible for schools, students, teachers and parents throughout the week.

Tim Rogers of Bradford Means Business said the event was important to help young people in the city raise their aspirations when considering careers in tech and that this would benefit the whole district.

He said: "Tech Week provides us with a great and meaningful digital leveller for our district.

"We are inclusive and across the district, as we know the pandemic and Brexit are affecting and will affect our health, economy and civic pride. However, we do have an opportunity as residents and businesses to create a future that we want to see and go on that journey together."

The week has been scheduled straight after Bradford Manufacturing Weeks as part of what is becoming Skills Months across Bradford.

It was over a year ago when the initiative was first suggested, and the team have had to adapt their plans since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, moving to using technology to ensure that Tech Week can still be delivered.

Its aims are to provide young people with work experience, mentoring, office tours, case studies of different tech roles, programs and workshops.

To get involved visit bradfordmeansbusiness.com where you will see the Tech Week tab. Information on the courses and events happening will be available there.