Over 150 business leaders, entrepreneurs, young people, and educational establishments flocked to iCentrum in June to witness the launch of 20 innovative business projects led by students as young as 14.

Attendees enjoyed an evening of innovation, inspiration, and celebration at the Digital Innovators Project Showcase as students presented their ideas around some of the most pressing challenges facing businesses and public services today, such as hybrid working, customer experiences, virtual exhibitions, patient data handling and more.

These projects are a product of the Digital Innovators Skills Programme which combines specialised training of core employability skills with practical work experience on industry placements with a range of businesses.

During the programme students have been solving business challenges for some of the largest employers in the region – including HS2, Balfour Beatty, BNP Paribas Personal Finance UK, RAF Museum Midlands, University Hospitals Birmingham, West Midlands Academic Science Health Network, Round Midnight, Vodbull UK, and more.

After developing their projects at The Ideator, this year’s cohort of students from Solihull College and University Centre and CORE City Academy were able to present the solutions produced in response to employers’ business challenges at the Digital Innovators Project Showcase 2022.

Students who had exceeded expectations were also acknowledged with awards which were sponsored by West Midlands Academic Science Health Network, Bruntwood SciTech and RAF Museum Midlands.

Nadia Davies, SME Employment and Skills Advisor at Solihull College and University Centre, said of the showcase:

“It would be an understatement to say that I was impressed with the students from Solihull College & University Centre and the work they have done with Digital Innovators. […] Enthusiastic, interesting, talented, chatty, and inspiring are a few words I would use to describe them.”

Mick Westman, CEO and Founder at Digital Innovators, said:

“We have had a great year facilitating this essential collaboration between young people, education providers, and businesses in the region. Not only has it been brilliant to see the impact that our skills programme has had both on young people’s development, leaving them more confidence and optimistic for their future, but to hear businesses respond so positively to the solutions produced in response to their industry challenges has been fantastic.”

Digital Innovators launched their new collaborative work environment – The Ideator – earlier this year in collaboration with Bruntwood SciTech and Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership to bring together businesses, educators, and young people to tackle a variety of industry challenges.

The Ideator has enabled Digital Innovators to further their mission of bridging the gap between education and employment by developing in young people the skills needed to excel in the workplace – such as confidence, problem solving, digital skills, and communication – and facilitating innovative projects which add real value to businesses.

Digital Innovators is keen to collaborate with businesses and education providers who are interested in bridging the gap between education and employment. Organisations wanting to get involved should contact Digital Innovators on info@digitalinnovators.co.uk.

For more information about Digital Innovators, please visit – https://digitalinnovators.co.uk/