On Monday, we marked the start of London Tech Week by launching our new digital apprenticeships to local employers.

The opportunities, which will be advertised very soon, span a variety of digital roles; from applications management to digital service design, all working within our in-house ICT and digital service.

A key part of our award-winning apprenticeships programme is the involvement of local employers from an early stage, and our digital apprenticeships are no different.

In Hackney, we are lucky to have the knowledge and experience of a wealth of innovative local employers to draw on.

At Monday’s event we welcomed around 15 small and large businesses to discuss how we can work together to provide great benefits to apprentices like job sharing and short-term placements with local employers, share experience of how to help apprentices get the most from their placements, as well as make sure that our apprenticeship graduates have the skills they need to forge a great career in the digital sector.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those who came along and shared their ideas, and I look forward to continuing to work together to open up opportunities for Hackney's young people.

Our apprenticeships programme is going from strength to strength. There are now over 100 apprentices working across the Council, and last month, we were named the top public sector employer at the 2018 School Leaver Awards, based on feedback from our apprentices.

With the launch of another 30 apprenticeships in digital and other roles across the Council very soon, this exciting journey continues.