TURING Fest has announced CodeClan and Baillie Gifford as Diversity Partners for this year’s conference, which runs on 28th-29th June at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC). The Turing Fest Diversity Programme has run since 2018, aimed at helping more underrepresented or disadvantaged people get into tech, or help their career progression.
For the 2023 conference, people can join via organisations including Code Your Future, Women Who Code, Black Professionals Scotland, Girl Geeks, Diversity AI, and Equate. Turing Fest also offers deeply discounted tickets to self-identified members of underrepresented groups, and can apply directly via the Turing Fest website.
Turing aims for 50 per cent of speakers to be female or non-binary, and 20 per cent to be people of colour or other minorities.
Loral Quinn, CEO of digital skills academy CodeClan, said: “We fully believe in what Turing Fest is working towards, and have been impressed by the impact the team has made on the tech scene. Increasing diversity in tech is critical, and we are pleased to continue our work together as a diversity partner for this year’s conference.”
Russell Glencross, Talent and Development Lead, Baillie Gifford, said: “We proudly support Turing Fest’s efforts on diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a collective tech community, there is scope for more diverse workforce that will allow all to benefit from the innovative thinking brought through the diversity of thought and lived experience.”
Additionally for this year’s flagship conference, the organisers are making discounted tickets available to individuals who have lost their jobs due to tech sector layoffs. With research showing that up to 85 per cent of jobs are filled via networking with personal and professional connections, Turing Fest CEO Brian Corcoran says:
“We believe that everyone deserves access to the best resources and opportunities to develop their careers. By offering a discount to those who have lost their jobs, we hope to make Turing Fest as accessible as possible for those who want to continue learning, connecting, and growing.”
At this year’s conference, there will be signage to make clear which organisations are looking to hire, and badges will indicate which individuals are looking for employment. There will also be a dedicated resource from Turing Fest’s recruitment partner, Cathcart Technology, the Edinburgh-headquartered specialist technology recruitment company.
Gordon Kaye, Managing Director, Cathcart Technology, said: “The landscape for tech roles is growing at a rapid pace and we know that year-on-year the Turing Fest conference provides the perfect opportunity to hire and get hired. We are thrilled to be recruiting at, and being a partner, of Turing Fest in 2023.”
According to ScotlandIS, the technology sector employs over 80,000 people in Scotland, with approximately 15,000 new digital jobs created annually.
The Turing team will be announcing a full list of speakers and sponsors in the lead up to the 2023 conference, which is billed as “Europe’s best event for product, growth, and startups”.
For more information: https://turingfest.com/
