Earlier this week, Silverlink’s Product Manager, Rob Dixon, spent time talking to Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) students at Longbenton Community College about the value that Technology adds to our daily lives, particularly when accessing health services. The talk was part of the Founders4Schools program in association with the Villiers Park Education Trust – a not-for-profit initiative that connects young people to business leaders with the aim of inspiring skills development.
Longbenton Community College is a top-performing secondary school in Newcastle-upon-Tyne that aims to prepare students for a career in technology. Rob addressed the students as part of Silverlink’s commitment to supporting skills development within the broader community, and promoting the North East’s booming tech sector.
According to the Founders4Schools program, approximately one billion young people globally will enter the job market in the next ten years but only 40% of them will take jobs that now exist. The organisation believes that software development is a prime example of a career path that is constantly evolving, and by connecting young minds to leaders in this field, students will get an idea of what skills employers are looking for now and in future, to help guide students in their career choices.
As a leader in the development of healthcare software, having worked with the NHS for over 20 years, Silverlink was invited to present to students on this highly specialised branch of IT and the benefit to whole communities and populations when health services are modern, connected and innovative.
“We appreciate the willingness of Silverlink and the other speakers who took time out to speak to the students here at Longbenton,” said Alex Stonebanks, Learning Mentor at Villiers Park Educational Trust. “The advice they gave was invaluable and the feedback from the students was enormously positive; 91% thought the event was useful and 79% felt inspired by the event.”
“It was a great pleasure to speak to STEM students at Longbenton Community College, and to introduce them to an exciting and meaningful vocation within the field of health IT,” said Rob. “Healthcare software development is an opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives, and it was fantastic to see this resonate with the students at Longbenton.”