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NTT Data UK’s first group of sponsored candidates has graduated from the route2work digital skills academy programme.
As part of its DoDiversity campaign, the IT services provider funded scholarships for 30 women to enrol in one of four digital skills academies to learn core Microsoft skills.
The programme is designed to help create opportunities for them to begin their careers within the technology sector.
“Bringing in candidates with different life experiences and who have taken varied routes into the industry can only enrich the tech workforce and enhance its capacity for creativity and innovation,” said Kate Daniels, portfolio director at NTT DATA UK.
Daniels added that developing alternative routes into a tech career is essential to solving the ongoing talent shortage affecting the sector.
“It’s vital that people with a passion to pursue a career in technology are not held back by lack of available training opportunities,” said Eleri Gibbon, UK services partner lead at Microsoft. “Microsoft is committed to working with its partners to ensure technology is accessible for all, and initiatives such as the route2work Academies are crucial for widening the pool of skilled candidates and creating a more diverse talent pipeline.”
Having graduated from the course, candidates will now be invited to interview with NTT Data.