With an active apprenticeship programme in place, Accenture is no newcomer to early careers work. As part of its commitment to Movement to Work, the company provides 100 work experience placements each year for young people who are NEET (not in education, employment or training). This year, 25 participants progressed from the initiative into Accenture's UK apprenticeship programmes.

So why add Discover Tech into the mix?

"It was twofold," says Diahann Abraham, Accenture's Apprenticeships & Internships Manager. "Discover Tech created a valuable opportunity to collaborate with other technology employers and collectively widen access to technology careers for underrepresented young people."

By reaching more than 650+ students, Discover Tech enabled Accenture to expand its existing schools outreach and connect with young people who may not otherwise have been exposed to careers in technology.

Engaged, interested students

Discover Tech takes place over two days. Day one is exploratory, allowing students to meet a variety of employers and hear from an expert panel, one of whom worked at Accenture. On day two, groups of students are hosted directly by employers, giving them a deeper insight into what it's like to work for a technology company.

The students quickly made the most of the opportunity, asking thoughtful questions and sparking discussions that went beyond those typically heard at an insight event. "There were a lot of questions around AI and the ethics around AI," Diahann told us. One student, who was already coding in her own time, argued that AI tools can allow people to benefit from others' work without giving proper credit to the original creators, prompting a wider discussion about the ethical implications of AI.

"Those aren't the kinds of conversations we would normally have at an insight event. It was fantastic to see so many students engaging and bringing such thoughtful perspectives to the discussion."

Raising awareness of apprenticeships

Many schools and sixth form colleges continue to place greater emphasis on university pathways, giving students less exposure to alternatives such as apprenticeships. As a result, many students arrived at Discover Tech with limited awareness of degree apprenticeships and careers in technology.

To help bring these opportunities to life, the team brought together panellists from both technical and non-technical backgrounds. They shared their experiences of working in technology and answered students' questions about different career paths. Having apprentices from a range of backgrounds leading activities and sharing their experiences proved particularly powerful.

"Our apprentices are always our key ambassadors. It's an opportunity to raise awareness of apprenticeships and increase representation."

How Connectr makes engaging with young people easier

As a founding partner, Accenture helped shape the programme's content and case studies. However, once student recruitment began, Diahann and her team were able to take more of a back seat.

"Connectr were responsible for all the logistics," Diahann says. "Compared to running our own events end-to-end, it takes a lot of the pressure off and allows us to focus our time where we can add the most value."

With Connectr handling recruitment, safeguarding, venues and facilitation, Diahann and her team were able to focus on delivering engaging content, supporting panels and connecting directly with students, without the operational burden of running the event themselves.

What's next for the students who engaged with Accenture at Discover Tech?

By the end of Discover Tech, some students had gone from learning about Accenture and its apprenticeship opportunities to registering an interest in the company's apprenticeship programmes. The next step is to stay connected with those students and continue raising awareness of opportunities as application windows open.  More broadly, Diahann sees Discover Tech as an opportunity for employers to work together to inspire young people and widen access to technology careers.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for employers to come together, inspire the next generation of technology talent, help address digital skills gaps and widen access to opportunities for underrepresented young people."

Could your organisation benefit from Discover Tech?

Discover Tech is an adaptable, low-resource way to help shape the future of technology talent. By bringing employers together, connecting them with engaged students and reducing the operational burden associated with outreach, the programme makes it easier for organisations to build awareness, strengthen their talent pipelines and widen access to technology careers.

Get in touch with Rachel Morar to find out how Discover Tech could support your organisation's early careers ambitions.