Digital Lancashire

The Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise, Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership and the Lancashire Innovation Board have joined forces with the Tech Talent Charter (TTC) to produce this Inclusion and Diversity ‘How to’ Series. This 3 part series is specifically designed for Lancashire businesses that employ tech talent and is being offered to businesses for free.

Why sign up?

In a survey of people from Lancashire businesses who participated in our recent TTC working lunch, they told us that their biggest business challenges were skills shortages and hiring talent.

Skills shortages are an urgent business challenge becoming more urgent every day. To address this challenge requires a new way of thinking about finding, keeping and developing talent. It requires inclusion.

Businesses need to identify new sources of talent fast. Most hiring managers, especially those in tech, have been fishing from the same small pond for talent. It’s time to access the talent traditionally underrepresented in tech, such as women and other underrepresented groups who have largely been excluded from the industry to-date. To access this diverse talent (and retain it) businesses must become more inclusive.

Some people think this can only be done in big businesses with large HR teams or those that have an Inclusion and Diversity manager, with big budgets and time to make things happen. This is not the case. The TTC has worked with hundreds of small and medium sized businesses over the last few years. We know there are small, practical steps you can take to really move the dial and get great, diverse people in the door and to retain them to build innovative teams to move your business forward

If you get the ‘why’, but you need help with the ‘how’ then sign up for this series of practical sessions we are putting on for Lancashire based companies that employ any type of tech talent.

What are the ‘How to’ Sessions?

The 3 part series will be delivered in 2-hour sessions on different dates. The sessions will be linked so, to make the most of it all, organisations must commit to having a participant attend all 3 sessions.

Each session will involve a brief introduction delivered by the Tech Talent Charter, practical steps delivered by topic experts (max 30 mins) and then participants will work together in a small group guided by a facilitator using topic-specific materials to devise an action plan for their organisation (120 mins). This will be very hands-on and give you actionable insights to put to work in your company straight away.

• Wed 20th Jan 2021 (11.00-13.00): How to get your whole team bought into the case for diversity and inclusion.
• Wed 3rd Feb 2021 (11.00-13.00): How to build a more inclusive culture: first steps.
• Wed 17th Feb 2021 (11.00-13.00): How to hire the best candidates from the broadest talent pools: practical actions.

In each session, participants will work with their facilitator using brainstorming techniques to identify the practical actions for your business to begin working on as soon as you finish the session. You will learn from an expert and from other businesses about how to incorporate new ideas for 2021.

All sessions will be run on a Chatham House Rule basis. Honesty is key. Coming to the session and not having all the answers is welcomed. We are all up for the tough conversations and finding positive practical ways forward.

This is a free series however we are requesting that organisations commit to having a representative at all 3 sessions. Your organisation will be promoted on various social platforms as a company working to drive greater inclusion and diversity in tech, included in press releases and provided with social assets for your company to promote your involvement in this initiative.

At the end of this 3 part series participants will:

• Be prepared and feel confident about how to respond to challenges on the business case for inclusion and diversity from different stakeholders; and
• Get inspiration and creative ideas about ‘what works’ from colleagues in the Lancashire area and experts involved in each session; and
• Know where to go to find practical resources to adapt and make use of within your own organisation; and
• Have created a personalised plan with concrete actions and priorities for 2021; and
• Have greater insight about the strengths and weaknesses of your existing inclusion and diversity strategy and plan (if you have one)

This session is for you if:

• You have responsibility for driving inclusion and diversity in a Lancashire business; or
• You are a director or manager in a Lancashire business; or
• Your role is in HR and you are keen to do more on inclusion and diversity; or
• You are a champion of inclusion and diversity in your company; or
• You have a keen interest in inclusion and diversity, are looking to update your knowledge or want to drive the agenda forwards in 2021.

If your company isn’t already signed up as a Tech Talent Signatory, please sign up today and join over 500 leading employers of tech. Membership is free. https://www.techtalentcharter.co.uk/sign-up