Dozens of job opportunities have been created following one of the biggest showcases of digital talent in the North East.
ExpoTalent, Teesside University’s annual showcase of work by the School of Computing’s second year students, attracted record crowds with almost 100 digital companies visiting the event.
The event, organised in conjunction with DigitalCity, also saw more than 50 digital companies exhibiting in a specially erected marquee in the University’s Campus Heart.
In addition, more than 400 young people who are considering studying computing and digital courses visited the campus to take inspiration from the Teesside students.
Employers were impressed with the array of skills presented by Teesside students and already 26 businesses have pledged to employ a graduate or take on an intern as a result of visiting ExpoTalent.
The School of Computing’s Associate Dean (Enterprise and Business Engagement) Siobhan Fenton said: “At Teesside University we pride ourselves on our ability to equip our graduates with the skills they require to meet the needs of employers.
“With the pace of technology moving so fast, ExpoTalent plays a vital role, not just in showcasing the work of our students, but also gives us an opportunity to speak with businesses and find out the sort of skills and capabilities that they are looking for in graduates.
“We are delighted that so many companies were so impressed with our second year students’ work that they could offer them jobs or placements.”
Business who offered graduates employment opportunities included Hammerhead VR, Double Eleven, Viral Effect, Coatsink and Better Brand.
DigitalCity is an initiative based at Teesside University which works with North East companies to advise on digital solutions, stimulate digital innovations and secure investment into digital products.
DigitalCity Director Rob Earnshaw said: “Bringing DigitalCity into ExpoTalent ensured that the event was the biggest celebration of digital opportunities in the North East and was fantastic for digital businesses across the region to network and find business opportunities.
“However, what was particularly pleasing was seeing so many senior digital professionals from some of the region’s biggest tech companies engaging with students and taking a real interest in their work and, ultimately, offering them employment.”
For more information on courses in the School of Computing visit www.tees.ac.uk/computing
For more information on DigitalCity visit www.thedigitalcity.com
