In a triumph for educational innovation, ALET UTCs & Partners has clinched the prestigious ‘Best Talent Developer’ award at Data Centre World, a premier event for digital infrastructure professionals. Held at ExCeL in London las week, the accolade underscores the success of an initiative aimed at bridging the skills gap in the digital infrastructure sector while fostering social mobility.
The winning project, UTC Heathrow’s Digital Futures Programme (DFP), garnered praise for its groundbreaking approach to industry-education collaboration. Launched in 2021, the DFP stands as a beacon of progress in equipping students with the requisite skills for a plethora of careers within the digital infrastructure domain. The initiative is particularly crucial as the sector grapples with a shortage of skilled professionals, exacerbated by a lack of awareness about data centres among potential recruits.
Central to the programme’s success is its integration into the curriculum of Year 12 students, who participate in the program as part of their Engineering BTEC studies. At Data Centre World, 17 students immersed themselves in the bustling atmosphere, engaging with industry experts and gaining insights into diverse career opportunities. Beyond technical proficiency, the event also provided a platform for honing soft skills such as networking, professionalism, and effective communication.
The accolade marks the fourth recognition for the programme since its inception, heralding a milestone year for the Activate Learning Education Trust (ALET). Speaking on the win, president and CEO of Trust partner CNet Training, Andrew Stevens, who was instrumental in getting the initiative off the ground, said it was: “Testament to the whole project that we won for the second year running. Everyone is continuing to work hard; we’re expanding the programme and more and more people are really seeing the benefit of what we are doing. We’re spreading the message, we’re investing in the community and helping social mobility. It’s a wonderful project and I ask everyone to support it and hopefully we’ll win it again next year.”
