UCOL | Te Pūkenga will be involved in a number of events for Techweek in Manawatū and Whanganui, including a panel discussion with women working in the tech sector.
Techweek, running from 13 May to 20 May, is a tech and innovation festival with events across Aotearoa New Zealand. The aim is to inspire, inform, and educate people about what is happening within the tech sector.
UCOL is teaming up with ManawaTech, Te Manawa and Graduate Women Manawatū to run the Women in Tech panel discussion on Wednesday 17 May. Four women working in the local tech sector will discuss their career journeys, goals, and aspirations for the future.
The speakers will include Aneta Davidson (Regional Manager of Spark), Kiri Brown (independent IT contractor), Theresa Byrne (Digital Business Analyst for Te Whatu Ora MidCentral), and Dani Smith (Web Developer and Accounts Manager at Webtech Creative Agency)
Byrne and Smith are both graduates of UCOL's Bachelor in Information and Communications Technology.
Women in Tech is taking place at Te Manawa. After the talk, people will also be able to experience the Codebreakers: Women in Games ACMI exhibition.
Jasmine Groves, UCOL Executive Director- Partnerships & Engagement, says UCOL is proud to help give women working in the technology sector a platform to share their stories as part of Techweek.
"We hope that the Women in Tech panel inspires anyone considering a career in tech to take the leap, whether they are at secondary school or looking for a career change. We are proud to have a couple of our ICT graduates on the panel this year. Theresa and Dani are great examples of young women who are now flourishing in the tech industry after completing their UCOL degrees."
On 19 May, UCOL will have a stall at the Tech Solutions Expo at Victory Venue in Palmerston North. People will be able to chat with UCOL staff and find out about the ICT programmes UCOL offers, as well as the new New Zealand Certificate in Entertainment and Event Technology, which launches in July.
UCOL's Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology includes a significant industry project/internship component, which gives learners valuable experience of working with real businesses and organisations.
UCOL staff and learners will also be attending the Mega Meetup at Victory Venue on May 19. This networking event will be a great opportunity for UCOL learners to meet business owners and people working within the tech industry.
UCOL is sponsoring the Whanganui Tech Networking Event at the Backhouse on Thursday 18 May. This is an opportunity for people working or studying in the tech space to meet and share ideas.
Alex McLeod, Chief Talking Officer from Redsky 365, will be the guest speaker for the networking event. Redsky 365 is a Whanganui cloud services consulting company that focuses on helping not-for-profit organisations utilize cloud technology.
Groves says, "The Backhouse is hosting a number of great Techweek events, and we at UCOL are delighted to be a part of the Whanganui Tech Networking Event. The Backhouse is Whanganui's centre for innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship, and education, so Techweek is an ideal initiative to be part of."
Rodd Eddy, Chief Executive of the Backhouse Trust, says his organisation is excited to bring Techweek events to Whanganui.
"Techweek is getting bigger every year, and we are excited to showcase some of the great work that is being done in Whanganui and bring together industry professionals to discuss how we can grow the sector. We hope that our events inspire a new generation of technology enthusiasts and experts."
Paula Richardson, UCOL Academic Portfolio Manager for ICT and Performance, will be appearing on Techweek TV to talk about how student internships benefit ICT businesses and learners.
You can find out more about what is happening at the Backhouse for Techweek at https://thebackhouse.nz/events/.