When we published our workplan in November we promised to give regular updates on our progress. Here’s an update after the first quarter of 2022/23.

Complete

• Deep dive into future need. Next steps:
  • Innovation fund to further some of the recommendations.
  • Recommendations woven into SPF framework
• Videos showcasing tech careers
  • Videos complete and will be promoted as part of a wider comms campaign between now and September
• Cornwall Digital festival
  • Pilot in May under the banner of Cornwall Tech Festival, in partnership with Software Cornwall.
  • Planning a larger event in 2023.
• Tech jams for grownups
  • Great event at St Austell Brewery. Planning for more, options for funding
• Inclusive recruitment series
  • In partnership with the University of Exeter we ran an event about how to encourage women into tech roles.

In progress

• Cornwall games festival: CIoS DSP lead is sitting on the steering group and will help develop a skills strand
• Code club training sessions: Pilot project launched to train parent volunteers in five Cornish primaries.
• Digital parents newsletter: Content is scoped and the design has been contracted
• Strategic PR campaign: Agency contracted and briefed; some pieces have already gone out

Backlog

• Digital Futures Day: the pilot event planned for February was cancelled due to Covid. As school staff are at max capacity, it makes sense to postpone to next academic year
• Work experience portfolio for Cornish students based on the Mission to Mars week model: potential lead organisations have been identified. As soon as funding is confirmed we can start the contracting process. We’re also looking at the feasibility of a Tech Academy model.
• Trevithick Day: postponed due to school capacity
• “What is a…” project: Yet to begin
• Tech Talent Charter: Yet to begin. There are currently no signatories in CIoS.

Parked

• Work experience portal: This is a more complicated project than we realised as an online database just a small part of a necessarily complex and rigorous system. After changes in the council, the skills and careers teams will work more closely together, meaning we can work on other ways to improve the links between employers who have opportunties, and students who need them.
• Culdrose future careers programme: We made the decision to roll this into the existing programme of successful forces careers fairs – and help to encourage attendance from tech employers

We’d love you to help us get more projects over the line. If you can give time, expertise, contacts, or financial help, please do get in touch.