Business Telecoms supplier, Spectrum Telecoms, has been working in partnership with Leicester College to help nurture the next generation of talent as part of a national skills initiative.
The firm, which is based in Burton upon Trent, took part in the college’s Industrial Cadets Week, which is part of a nationwide programme aimed at equipping young people with the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills needed for employment.
The scheme is run by the Prince’s Trust and is delivered across the UK by colleges and local businesses.
During Industrial Cadets Week, a group of students from Leicester College were hosted by global technology solutions provider Avaya, at its new Guildford Briefing Centre, where they were trained in Avaya Breeze application development.
After the initial training, they formed teams and were challenged to put their newly-learned skills to the test by developing actual working applications that met the current needs of the college.
At the end of the week, they had to pitch their applications to a Dragons’ Den-style panel of industry experts, which included Spectrum’s Head of Business Development, Chris Windley, and representatives from Avaya, the college, and software developer XMA.
Chris said: “This was a fantastic event to involved in. High technology companies are looking for people with the right skills, attitudes and qualifications to help drive them forward and this week was all about giving young people the chance to put their skills to the test in a real-life working environment.
“The ‘Dragons’ were blown away by the quality of the work undertaken by the students and the results they achieved. Business has a key role to play in helping to develop the next generation of talent and giving young people the opportunities they need to ensure they are fully prepared for the world of work, and Spectrum was delighted to play a part.”
