Rural broadband provider, Quickline Communications, is teaming up with social value specialist, Ahead Partnership, to bring a bespoke innovative, tech-focused engagement programme to 16 secondary schools across the region.
The initiative is set to reach a diverse group of young people, introducing them to the tech and digital sectors, helping to develop essential employability skills and connecting them with industry leaders and professionals from across a range of tech disciplines.
Spanning three years, the programme will offer students extensive support and advice from those working within the industry, as well as multiple opportunities to explore different career paths on offer.
The programme launch comes after the UK government has outlined Digital and Technologies as one of its key priority sectors in its recent Invest 2035 green paper.
For Ahead Partnership, this latest announcement reinforces its position as a leader in delivering skills and employment initiatives within the digital and tech space.
Meanwhile, for Quickline, the collaboration forms a core part of its social value commitment under Project Gigabit. Earlier this year Quickline was awarded four government-funded Project Gigabit contracts which will provide gigabit-capable broadband to 170,000 hard-to-reach premises across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Project Gigabit is a government-funded programme enabling communities that would otherwise miss out on access to fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband.
Julie Holmes, Social Value Manager at Quickline said: “Our relationship with Ahead Partnership offers us a really exciting opportunity to engage with young people across Yorkshire, giving them direct access to telecommunications professionals and insights from real life experiences.
“Through this collaboration, we will participate in school activities like careers fairs, mock interviews and panel sessions. We’re also enabling other partners to do the same, expanding the opportunities for young people to get exposure to the industry.
“At Quickline, our mission goes beyond delivering fast and reliable broadband to rural communities. Through Ahead Partnership, we’re thrilled to help connect young people with meaningful opportunities in technology.”
Suzie Bell, Programme Manager at Ahead Partnership, said: “We are delighted to welcome Quickline as our newest digital partner, helping to further expand the reach of our long-running Growing Talent Digital Leeds programme, connecting with young people throughout the wider Yorkshire region.
“We know first-hand how impactful long-term partnerships such as this one can be for young people, providing them with multiple opportunities to be inspired about the range of opportunities that Yorkshire’s well-established tech and digital sector offers. We look forward to working together over the next three years to help build a more diverse sector and drive social mobility and digital inclusion.”
