In October 2023, I attended the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce’s Future Workforce Summit. So much of what was said resonated with my own experience in terms of attracting talent – particularly the challenge of finding the right people in highly competitive markets. It also struck me that due to a decline in the growth of the working age population, employers will have to focus on those who are economically inactive and find innovative ways to remove employment barriers.
It was during one of the breaks at the event that I met Richard from Workplus who spoke about looking at other avenues to widen the talent pool. That conversation then led me to attend a Workplus Grow Your Own Future Talent event which plugged me into the Belfast City Council’s Technology Employment Academy. As I listened, I realised that this could be a good option, and it felt like the right time.
Like so many other local companies in Northern Ireland, a challenge for us is finding IT Technical Analysts. It’s extremely competitive, especially looking for experienced hires.
And so, with buy–in from the senior management team, we decided to engage and sponsor the Tech Employment Academy.
If you’re not familiar with this academy, it’s open to anyone who wants to start a career in IT with either no qualifications or experience. Essentially, it’s an intensive skills bootcamp. Belfast City Council and their nominated training provider look after all the details from start to finish, all the Academy asks from employers in return is to provide a short work placement and to commit to interviewing all the candidates.
As a company, we were keen to be involved from the outset which included shaping the curriculum and being part of the selection process.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of calibre, but I was blown away by the calibre of the people who had applied. I was astounded by their motivation and drive to get involved in the Academy and by how much untapped potential there is out there. This academy could ultimately change people’s lives for the better!
As a senior management team, we were fully committed to the academy from the get–go, but once we met the individuals involved, heard their stories, learned about their own barriers, we wanted to do all that we could to see them succeed.
Through the academy, we now have 3 new hires in our IT team and they’re brilliant! What they lack in qualifications and or experience they make up for in mindset, willingness and learning agility tenfold.
They have very different stories, but each has a desire to succeed, all they needed was someone to take a chance on them.
I’ve worked in HR for 20 years – 10 of those in Energia. Being involved in this Academy has opened my eyes to how much untapped potential there is out there if you can remove barriers. It has also made me sit up and challenge how we do things, for example, why are we asking for a degree? By asking for a degree, we could be creating (often unnecessary) barriers and eliminating so much potential talent from the process.
I’m extremely proud of my new colleagues that came to us through the Tech Employment Academy. Professionally, it’s reminded me of the value of challenging the status quo and trying alternative pathways to find early talent. Personally, it has been an important reminder that everyone has potential – and it’s on us to remove barriers and widen access to fantastic opportunities.
Anna Rice will be a panellist at the Grow Your Own Future Talent webinar on Thursday 24th October. The webinar will cover workforce planning and how to address skills shortages in your organisation.
You can register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/grow-your-own-future-talent-tickets-1004613665517?aff=ebdsoporgprofile