Sky TV and Burberry join forces to support Leeds Unleashed initiative

A new initiative aims to inspire more young people to pursue lucrative careers in the technology sector.
By Greg Wright
Published 13th Apr 2023, 07:00 BST

Leading figures from the worlds of fashion, TV, technology and education have pledged to open their doors to local young people next month. Led by digital development partner xDesign and Leeds City Council, the partnership also includes Sky TV, Burberry, and Glean.

A spokesman said: “Each has made a commitment to inspire and engage the next generation of tech talent via the new initiative – Leeds Unleashed - which will take place on 5 May. Leeds Unleashed was created to take action on recent research which looked at young peoples’ perceptions of the local tech industry. It found that 59 per cent of young people in the city are considering a tech career. However, two-thirds think that tech companies could do much more to engage and nurture their digital aspirations.

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“As a result, the day of events will give individuals unprecedented access to some of Leeds’ biggest and best tech-enabled employers. As well as providing an opportunity to learn about the latest tech being used by each partner, it will also enable young people and career changers to engage face-to-face with the technologists and other specialists responsible for driving each business forward in their respective sectors.”

Commenting on the launch of Leeds Unleashed, Matt Ward, xDesign’s Head of Leeds, said: “The so-called ‘digital skills gap’ is something we’ve been aware of for a long time thanks to a growing body of research and regular media reporting."Commenting on the launch of Leeds Unleashed, Matt Ward, xDesign’s Head of Leeds, said: “The so-called ‘digital skills gap’ is something we’ve been aware of for a long time thanks to a growing body of research and regular media reporting."
Commenting on the launch of Leeds Unleashed, Matt Ward, xDesign’s Head of Leeds, said: “The so-called ‘digital skills gap’ is something we’ve been aware of for a long time thanks to a growing body of research and regular media reporting."

Commenting on the launch of Leeds Unleashed, Matt Ward, xDesign’s Head of Leeds, said: “The so-called ‘digital skills gap’ is something we’ve been aware of for a long time thanks to a growing body of research and regular media reporting. However, having done our own research, we wanted to start taking action on the findings.

"Leeds Unleashed reflects a shared commitment from xDesign and its partners to inspire, inform and ignite a passion among young people for careers in tech. With the support of Leeds City Council, we’re going to be offering this unique opportunity to school, college and university students - along with career changers - in the wider Leeds area. We want to support all of these groups in discovering how they could one day shape Leeds’ already thriving tech sector.”

Jonathan Sheldrake, VP, IT - Infrastructure & Services at Burberry, said: “For Burberry, Leeds Unleashed represents a real opportunity to invest in the future of the Leeds community we serve and operate from, while giving us the potential to futureproof our business.”

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"As a partnership, it’s vital that we empower the next wave of tech talent today, so that they can breathe new life and ideas into our businesses tomorrow.”

To book a place on the Leeds Unleashed tech tour, visit: https://leedsunleashed.com

Related topics:BurberryLeedsLeeds City Council