Students in Sunderland who are interested in the software industry are being given an insight into their future prospects at an event today, March 2.
More than 200 students from year nine to 11 attended a Software Sector Day to find out about careers in the industry.
The insight day, organised by Accenture and Sunderland Software City, comes as part of, and in conjunction, with the city’s Work Discovery Sunderland programme.
It will give the young people the chance to talk to experts from a wide range of software-related industries.
Paul McEldon, co-chair of Work Discovery Sunderland, said: “The software industry is a growth area with some really exciting opportunities for young people.
“There are representatives from a diverse range of organisations so the young people attending can really get a feel for the many options that are available to them.”
Amy Porter, Skills Manager for Sunderland Software City added: “[The] Software Sector Day is designed to inspire and educate young people about the many organisations, technologies and career opportunities on their doorstep here in the North East.
“By raising awareness of the size and presence of the sector in the region we aim to encourage more young people to move into further study and careers in tech, which not only opens up promising career paths but is vital to the long-term growth and success of the industry, not just here in the North East, but across the UK.”
The event is being supported by Nissan and other companies, with virtual reality (VR) experts Vector 76 demonstrating their software and VR headsets.
Sunderland-based company Geek Talent will also be demonstrating their Career Hacker platform, while representatives from Sunderland College will be giving information about their Next Generation gaming course, which will be launched in September.
The event, held at Sunderland Software Centre, is one of many events organised by Work Discovery Sunderland, which include a range of speaker days and Work Discovery Week, which will run from July 11 to 15 this year.
Work Discovery Sunderland was created by Sunderland’s Economic Leadership Board, Business:Schools Task Group, with the aim of helping students to develop their employability skills and get an insight into various industries before they embark on their careers.