To Infinity…and Beyond
Education Collaboration at Version 1
So why the ‘to infinity and beyond’ title?
It isn’t due to my love of Toy Story (which I do have), but rather the meaning of the saying. Infinity is endless, and for me, this saying quite simply means limitless opportunities. In the world of tech, there are limitless opportunities, and we want to inspire, encourage and promote these to our next generation.
When the Education Collaboration team formed as part of the Version 1 ESG strategy, we set a target to reach 1000 students through our outreach activities by the end of 2022. I am writing on 21st July and we have just done our calculations, drum roll please… we have now reached 2344 students through outreach events since January 2022.
How have we done this?
Volunteers — this is the critical element to all of our outreach we would not have achieved this without so many selfless volunteers at Version 1 who are committed to delivering excellence outside of their day jobs. In each office location, we have an Education Team who build relationships with local schools, colleges, universities and other institutes. These teams not only attend events but plan and host some pretty amazing events themselves. Learn about some of the events we run and attend below.
Work Experience
In our Northern Ireland office, we have hosted 2 large groups of work experience students and will host more later this year. We gave them an insight into Version 1 including the work that we do and the roles available, plus we also took them through transferable skills and CV skills. Students were then split into teams where they were tasked to complete a small project which gave them a chance to develop their team working, communication and presentation skills.
Attending Careers Fairs
We attend local career fairs to promote opportunities within IT and Version 1. At these events, we network with the attendees which include students and teachers offering guidance and advice.
Mock Interviews
We provide mock interviews to students, which gives an opportunity for students to gain interview experience and confidence in a safe environment. During the experience, the volunteers provide feedback to the students which allow them to develop and grow.
Why have we done this?
Environmental, Social and Governance, commonly known as ESG is an organisation's responsibility for its impact on society. We have been leaders in this space for years which is why we recently created an ESG Strategy with 7 pillars.
We believe, as a responsible organisation, that by focusing our efforts in these areas our work will enable us to become innovators and positive influencers in the industry. Not limited to the IT sector but across all sectors that our customers and partners operate in. Helping to make our planet and the communities within it a better place for everyone.
Within the Education Collaboration Pillar, our vision is to encourage students in schools, colleges and universities to consider a career in IT and for our staff to be inspirational role models to students. Our key aims are to:
- Inspire the next generation into technology.
- Raise awareness of the roles available.
- Promote careers within Version 1 to the next generation.
- Be the role model that you would have wanted as a student.
- Break stereotypes held of careers in technology.
I’ll finish this post with a massive thank you to everyone in Version 1 who volunteers and helps put together all of our fantastic outreach events. I speak on behalf of everyone who does volunteer, we have seen some inspirational students and we cannot wait to see them in the tech industry in the years to come.
About the Author:
Tanya Mathews is a Business Analyst here at Version 1.
