Halifax Digital Festival is an open and collaborative event, with a primary objective to help tackle a number of key challenges facing the digital sector in Calderdale, including:
- Encouraging children and students to study subjects that lead to a career in digital or wider careers connected to the digital sector.
- Educate career changers in the opportunities available with upskilling and transferable skills.
- Help organisations learn how to reskill, upskill and build digital capability.
- Retaining and attracting talent in the area and the surrounding areas by raising the profile of employers in the area.
- Build strong and mutually beneficial relationships between digital service providers and businesses in the area.
Who should get involved?
Broadly, anyone in Halifax, Calderdale and the region who is connected to, or would like to be connected to the digital sector, e.g.;
Schools, colleges and higher educational institutions providing education to students that are connected to the digital sector.
Leadership and employees of businesses providing digital services, agencies, consultancies and sole traders across (but not limited to) websites, apps, software, data, fintech, security, service design and user experience design.
Leadership and employees of businesses that have in-house capability or require external providers of the services above.
The driving force behind the re-launch is Jim Moran, Managing Director at AND Digital:
“I believe that, as organisations in Halifax and across Calderdale, we all see similar challenges in attracting, retaining and recruiting the right talent to help our businesses grow. If we tackle talent shortage and digital demand together, we can collectively find solutions.
We’re surrounded by large nearby cities here in Halifax – like Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester – and whilst the success of those cities has had a positive impact on the digital economy of Calderdale, we believe we have to stand on our own two feet. Halifax Digital Festival aims to bring businesses and people together from the private and public sectors, as well as educational organisations. Providing people with knowledge sharing options, as well as upskilling opportunities, will accelerate digital growth in the area.”
