Sheffield Digital is working with Opportunity Sheffield, the employment and skills service within Sheffield City Council, on a new pilot programme supporting people looking to start or progress their careers in the digital sector. As part of the partnership, a cohort of eight people using Opportunity Sheffield’s services have joined Sheffield Digital as Individual Members, giving them access to Sheffield Digital’s mentoring scheme and six months of guidance from experienced people working across Sheffield’s digital industries.

The pilot brings together people at a range of different stages in their careers and with very different experiences and routes into employment. The group includes recent Computer Science, AI and Computing graduates looking for their first roles in the sector, as well as people with substantial professional experience who are looking to understand what their next steps might be.

For some, the challenge is knowing where to start. Recent graduates have qualifications and relevant experience but are finding it difficult to identify suitable entry-level roles, understand how to access the industry, or get through early stages of the recruitment process.

Others bring significant experience from outside the UK. One member of the cohort has worked in the technology sector in Pakistan, including in large teams, and is now looking for opportunities to transfer that experience into Sheffield’s digital economy.

The group also reflects some of the barriers that can make entering and progressing in the digital sector more difficult. Several members of the cohort are neurodivergent, with experiences including challenges around communication, sensory environments and recruitment processes. Others have found that previous customer-facing roles weren’t a good fit, and are exploring opportunities where their skills and strengths can be better supported.

The cohort includes people interested in a wide range of roles, from IT service desk and technical support through to data, software and web development, digital marketing, design, testing and QA. And there is plenty of experience within the group: one member has spent many years working in telecommunications in testing and quality assurance before being made redundant, and is now considering what their next career move could look like.

Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to employability, our Mentoring Scheme will offer each participant the opportunity to be matched with someone from the digital sector who can offer insight, encouragement and practical guidance based on their individual challenges and goals.

Over the six months, mentors will help participants develop their employability skills, build confidence, understand the realities of working in the digital industries and identify potential routes into employment. That might mean helping someone understand which roles to target, offering feedback on applications and interviews, or simply providing an opportunity to talk to someone who has experience of the sector.

For Sheffield Digital, the pilot is also an opportunity to explore how its role as a membership organisation and community network can support people who might otherwise find it difficult to access the digital sector.

Chris Dymond, Sheffield Digital co-founder, says,

“This is a really positive thing to be doing, and it fits closely with the wider ambition for inclusive growth in the region. We want Sheffield’s digital economy to be accessible to people from a range of backgrounds, and this pilot gives us a chance to understand some of the different routes people can take into the sector. We’ve already seen some of the cohort coming along to Geek Brekky and chatting to others about their work and how they found their way into tech, which has been really nice to see.”

Opportunity Sheffield supports people across the city to overcome barriers to employment and develop the skills and confidence they need to move towards work. Working alongside Sheffield Digital means participants can connect directly with people already working in the industries they are hoping to enter, as Zak Ahmed, Senior Project Officer at Opportunity Sheffield, explains:

“Breaking into the tech sector isn’t always about qualifications or technical skills alone. Many people also need access to professional networks, industry knowledge and real-world advice. Through this pilot, we want participants to build their confidence, better understand the opportunities within Sheffield’s tech sector and develop the connections they need to take their next steps towards employment.”

The pilot is deliberately small, with eight participants taking part, but it provides an opportunity for both organisations to learn what works. If it is successful, this could lead to an ongoing initiative – an access point for different kinds of people to find their footing in our industry and community.

The mentors who make it possible

We’d like to say a big thank you to the people who volunteer their time and offer expertise and support as mentors on the programme – you really do make a difference.

We still have several mentees from Opportunity Sheffield who are waiting to be matched, so we are actively looking for new mentors. If you are interested in volunteering, you can see how it all works here.

To find out more about Opportunity Sheffield, visit the website.