Partnership with EY Foundation offers a 10-month mentoring program to students from low-income backgrounds
LONDON and AUSTIN, Texas, April 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Prism is collaborating with young people charity, the EY Foundation, for a second year to help students from low-income backgrounds develop the skills they need to succeed in the tech sector.
While it's predicted that automation will result in a net increase of 58 million jobs, the digital skills gap widens globally, leaving a greater need for young people to embrace digital learning. Blue Prism's work with the EY Foundation highlights that these promising job prospects should be available to all young people. Given that a majority of these jobs are set to be higher-skilled, it's imperative that businesses and institutions prepare people for higher-skilled jobs and give students from less advantaged backgrounds, especially, access to the education and tools to progress within this exciting sector.
In April, 10 young people will join the 10-month Tech Smart Futures program and through paid work experience with Blue Prism they will have the opportunity to gain a variety of transferable skills. They will also receive guidance and advice from a mentor throughout, helping them to identify their next steps in education.
Head of Automation & Transformation and Global For Good Lead Matt Juden-Bloomfield, Blue Prism, commented: "What we are trying to do is begin breaking down the barriers for young people, specifically from minority communities, to get into tech and ensure the benefits of automation can be enjoyed by everyone."
Through the continued collaboration with the EY Foundation, Blue Prism will build a more diverse workforce and gain a deeper understanding of how to attract and retain young talent. Not only will this set up local students for success in the workplace, but it will also prepare Blue Prism to serve its increasingly diverse customer base.
Declan, a student who took part in the program with Blue Prism last year said: "Thank you EY Foundation and Blue Prism for the two-week placement. This has been an amazing, fulfilling and invaluable experience which has developed me as a person and put me on the next step towards my goal."
Juden-Bloomfield added:"Last year's Smart Future program was an incredible experience. We saw first-hand the passion and drive these young people had to learn about the future of work and automation. This year we're back, providing training to young people to gain the skills they need to thrive in tomorrow's tech sector."
EY Foundation Acting CEO, Lynne Peabody, said:"It's fantastic to be working with Blue Prism again and we are looking forward to building this program with more tech organisations over the coming months, to make a positive impact on young people and tech employers. In the UK, roles in technology are expected to grow significantly, so this relationship will help ensure the young people we support access the jobs of the future."
Technology companies who would like to find out more about the Tech Smart Futures program should contact the acting head of business development, Kathryn Eastwood, kathryn.eastwood@eyfoundation.ey.com.
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About Blue Prism
Blue Prism is the global leader in intelligent automation for the enterprise, transforming the way work is done. At Blue Prism, we have users in over 170 countries in more than 2,000 businesses, including Fortune 500 and public sector organizations, that are creating value with new ways of working, unlocking efficiencies, and returning millions of hours of work back into their businesses. Our digital workforce is smart, secure, scalable and accessible to all; freeing up humans to re-imagine work. Blue Prism's vision is to provide a digital workforce for every enterprise. To learn more visit www.blueprism.com and follow us on Twitter @blue_prism and on LinkedIn.
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