AN INITIATIVE to raise awareness of digital careers and equip young people with the skills to access tech opportunities has been launched in East Sussex.

The East Sussex Digital Futures Accelerator (DFA) programme offers a series of activities to schools and employers which aim to increase the number of students pursuing careers and opportunities locally in the digital and technology sector.

The county-wide pilot scheme is one of only five national projects being funded by The Careers & Enterprise Company, the national body for careers education, and is backed by £1m from global tech giant Salesforce.

The county council has been awarded £125,000 for the two-year programme, which will work with year 10 students from ten schools across the county.

Five schools are already signed up to the programme. These are Peacehaven Community School, Robertsbridge Community College, Uckfield College, and Saxon Mount School and The St Leonard’s Academy in Hastings.

The East Sussex DFA project is being delivered by Skills East Sussex, the East Sussex Careers Hub and TechNative Digital, with support from the county council.

TechNative Digital will run launch assemblies in the participating schools later this month, which will give pupils an overview of the careers and pathways available in the digital and technology industries.

The aim of the events is to improve young people’s understanding of digital careers, as well as industry-specific and general employer expectations.

Accompanying webinars will be run for parents and carers.

Year 10 students with an interest in the sector will also be invited to take part in a county-wide competition where they will be challenged to develop a digital product that addresses specific issues important to them.

Teams will be paired with an industry mentor who will guide the students throughout the six-month project, helping them create innovative, impactful, and creative solutions.

The project will help pupils develop their technical and employability skills with the final designs presented at a competition finale in June next year.

Councillor Penny di Cara, lead member for economy at East Sussex County Council, said: “I am delighted that pupils across the county will benefit from the Digital Futures Accelerator programme.

“The digital and tech sector is one that continues to grow, and this initiative will help our young people find out more about the career and training opportunities available to them in this exciting industry.

“And who knows, the products developed by the students might just include the next big digital innovation.”

A further group of pupils will also benefit from the DFA initiative next year, with a second programme running from October 2025 to June 2026.

Throughout the East Sussex DFA project employers in the digital sector will be supported by the Transform service to access apprenticeships, T-Level industry placements and skills training.

Transform will help employers identify appropriate training providers and offer access to the county council’s apprenticeship levy transfer scheme to cover the employer contribution to apprenticeship training costs.

Schools or employers who would like to learn more about participating in the Digital Futures Accelerator programme should contact careers.hub@eastsussex.gov.uk for more information.

Businesses in East Sussex that would like support accessing apprenticeships and funding can contact transform@eastsussex.gov.uk for advice and guidance.