NORTH EAST FUTURES UTC SIGNS SAGGEZZA MENTORS
A new North East superschool has signed up two talented tech developers, as is grows its network of industry mentors who will support the next generation. Saggezza – which will double its headcount this year - has offered up two members of its team, Martin Shields and Andrew Dixon, to become industry mentors to young people studying at North East Futures UTC. The new school, which will open in September, has launched #NEFutureU, which commits to offering every single student a mentor, to provide advice and guidance about the career that awaits them when they enter the industry. The two mentors are both recent recruits at Saggezza, which offers software solutions that help its clients – including a number of globally-renown brands – to grow. As well as digital technology and IT, mentors in the healthcare science world are also being recruited to support the school’s specialism in this area too. Principal designate at the UTC, Dan Sydes, who joined from UTC Reading which was rated Outstanding in all categories by Ofsted, said that he was delighted to have representatives from the Sunderland business signed up. He said: “Mentors will provide absolutely invaluable support to students at North East Futures UTC, and we are delighted to be getting tremendous backing from the business community that will allow us to offer a mentor to each and every one of our students. “Saggezza is a great example of why we need this school. North East Futures will train young people for careers in digital technology and healthcare sciences, two booming industries in the North East. “This company has grown rapidly since it set up its Sunderland office, and there are plans for it to double in the coming months, so clearly, this is a business that – in the long term – will need a talented pool of employees to tap into. And that is just what we will be providing after we open our doors later this year.” Top young talent from digital tech and health sciences have pledged support to the school, and each will work with a UTC student to help them better understand the sector, and to prepare them for the world of work. Andrew Dixon, who is an IT analyst at Saggezza, which is based in Sunderland Software Centre, said: “When I heard of the mentorships, I was very interested. Software is going to be such a huge industry in a few years and I really just want to be able to give them the guidance that I wish I had when I was that age. “The IT industry is getting a bigger share of all jobs. At Saggezza, we want to be looking forward into the future; we have a lot of experience in leading-edge technologies, and hopefully in supporting this school, we can get the talented people to keep that going into the future.” Martin Shields, an associate software developer at Saggezza, added: “I really want to give back in the community. I feel so lucky and so privileged to be in this position in the first place. It took a lot of hard work, but any opportunity to pass on my experience to someone else, so they won’t make any of the mistakes I made, will be great and I am looking forward to it.” The school welcomes students who are about to enter their Year 10 and Year 12 studies, giving young teenagers the chance to make a fresh start and embark on their GCSEs at a specialist school, as well as providing an alternative to college or sixth form. Interested parents and students are urged to register for open evenings, with the next at the Centre for Life on February 19.