MyKindaFuture, underrated talent specialist, has partnered with TATA Consultancy Services (TCS), the global leader in IT services, to offer students across Britain a weeklong, virtual work experience programme, with over 21,000 young people set to benefit.

The initiative, will introduce sixth form students from all walks of life to the career possibilities within the technology industry, and provide them with valuable skills, experience and insight at a time when lockdown restrictions caused by COVID-19 have stripped young people of many opportunities.

Students will collaborate online to tackle real-life and contextual challenges, working their way through modules designed and delivered by MyKindaFuture’s experts and supported by specialists in their field. The immersive digital experience will be hosted on MyKindaFuture’s online engagement platform, Connectr, which will provide students with the opportunity to network with one another, as well as industry experts, whilst completing tasks.

Will Akerman, Founder and MD at MyKindaFuture explains: “The world is changing, and new job roles are constantly emerging in the technology sector. Through our partnership with TCS, we aim to help young people from all backgrounds, including those in areas of the country that are often overlooked, to discover the possibility of acareer in technology. We will provide them with the knowledge, confidence and experience they need to succeed. The digital initiative will also help to prepare students for the mobile working that will inevitably be a big part of their future careers.”

Alongside the hands-on work experience modules and challenges, participating students will benefit from a line-up of talks from some of the leading minds in the industry. Guest speakers on board to deliver webinars on subjects such as cybersecurity, include Dr Edewede, Security Analyst at Paysafe Group, Mike Allworth, Senior Business Analyst At Beckman Coulter Life Sciences and Lisa Robinson, Development Manager at Worldpay. All of the speakers involved in the programme will also act as online mentors for students, providing support, advice and guidance.

Students at Nishkam High School in Birmingham will be taking part in the initiative. Commenting on why opportunities like this are so important, Adam Ruhe, Vice Principal, said: “At a time when acquiring work experience with firms is so difficult, we’re grateful that our students have been provided with an opportunity to get first-hand experience in a digital format in such an important industry. The fact that it will be supported by leading industry professionals is very exciting.”

The weeklong experience will be delivered live to 300 students across the UK, and a further 21,000 young people are set to benefit from it throughout the year, as the learning materials and resources are being distributed to teachers, careers advisors, enterprise coordinators, parents and support workers across the country.

Yogesh Chauhan, Corporate Sustainability Director at TCS UK, comments: “We are excited to be working with MyKindaFuture to deliver a cutting-edge virtual work experience event this July. This programme will help Year 12 students from diverse backgrounds develop both their employability skills and their ability to engage with an increasingly digital world, preparing them for the workplace of the future. We are very proud to be able to offer this work experience event at a time when COVID-19 has meant that many young people are suffering from reduced opportunities. Furthermore, we will be sharing the content from the event throughout 2020, to ensure that as many young people as possible benefit.”

Will Akerman concludes: “At MyKindaFuture, we know that digital tools offer a fantastic solution for encouraging young people from diverse backgrounds to get excited about a career in technology, especially while COVID-19 has brought all face-to-face activity to a halt. Through our activity with TCS, we’ll be reaching young people in ‘cold spots’ across Britain, who often do not have access to the opportunities they deserve due to their location, to offer them an accessible online experience that will equip them with invaluable employability, networking and digital skills. The initiative will introduce a massive pool of talented young people to the technology sector, setting many on their way to successful careers in this space.”

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Making a Career in Technology More Accessible appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

The labor force is turning remote. The Financial Times just reported on the large effect that outbreaks such as the Coronavirus have on labor forces across the world. Everyday we are designing tools that redefine the workplace. It’s become more commonplace to see a team of employees spread out across different time zones. According to an article by Inc., 63% of companies now have remote workers.

Workers worldwide are accessing and sharing sensitive information across places such as Slack, Chanty, and SafesForce. Trying to understand when and where workers remotely are accessing key information is a task companies that to address in order to best attack cybersecurity issues.

In an iPass Survey, 2018 Mobile Security Report, there had been breaches at about 52% of companies.The CIOs of these companies believed these hacks to have occurred within the past year. Most breaches are believed to have occurred as a result of compromised wifis at places like cafes and  coffee shops.

We sat down with tech CEO and Founder of jsDelivr, Dmitriy Akulov, to answer some questions addressing some of the biggest problems companies that are hiring remotely are facing on the security front.

Akulov, is a tech innovator and entrepreneur, that is the leading force behind some of the largest names in the tech world including: PerfOps, jsDelivr, and Prospect One. Companies that use jsDelivr include Target, Business Insider, Citi, NBC, NewYorker, Texas.gov, NYC.gov, Toyota, NBA, National Geographic, amongst many others.

Q: What are some of the risks associated with having a remote company?

There are hundreds of risks that come with having employees across the world. Companies with remote workers have a multitude of issues to tackle. These companies have to share sensitive information across platforms that may put a company at extra risk.

I find that a lot of executives are thinking about software problems with a lot of times the issue is locality. Remote workers also put companies at great risk with things like coworking spaces and cafes. Connected and shared servers and network connections can be troublesome for companies. Phishing emails and the use of personal devices for work are also things you have to consider.

Q: How do you think the remote trend will change the cloud game?

The remote work trend will push cloud development to new limits. Every day new platforms and cloud-based service providers are being developed to try and answer problems that arise with the newfound conventionality of remote work.

It’s exciting times for tech and the digital workforce.

Q: What steps do companies need to take to ensure cloud security? How is this different in a remote company?

Keeping a company secure is always hard but it is much easier when your workers are on-site. Having your workers in one location gives you full control over the hardware and the network your employees are using. But there are things that can be put in place to prevent breaches:

Companies need to train their employees well. This ensures that remote employees understand the risks around them giving them the knowledge to make better choices. Companies need to focus on establishing policies forcing encryption and strong passwords.

Invest in better tools. Create a list of company approved services and platforms that all remote workers can use. The more control you have over where your content is being uploaded the more you can focus on addressing cyber issues in that specific platform.

SSO and multi-factor authentication are crucial. Requiring additional identifications and verifications allows companies to have better control over who is accessing what information and when.

VPN connections are a must nowadays. Even for employees working exclusively from home and using private wifi, VPNS are an added layer of security that can prevent the use of any information that has been accessed by a breach.

Q: What advice can you provide a company thinking of going remote about their Cloud security?

Always prepare for the worst and have protocols in place for every single thing that can go wrong. The first way and one of the key ways to prevent security breaches comes from educating your employees.

But, regardless you must always be prepared for the worst and have protocols in place for every single thing that can go wrong. Poor security understanding by employees, people dropping communication, people changing jobs without notice. These are all things you have to consider as you think of a predefined system to enforce your privacy policies globally.

Q: Anything else you’d like to highlight?

Remote companies are hard to organize and run, and it becomes exponentially harder the more people you add on to the team. On top of figuring out how to run a super complicated system of workers across different time zones, executives of these companies have to tackle mammoth issues such as security. Sure, there are a ton of risks but overall the beauty in running a remote team successfully is that your talent doesn’t have to be limited by location, geography, or zip codes. You can put together the best team, give them the proper tools, set up the appropriate channels, and let them focus on the end result.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post How Is The Remote Workforce Driving Cybersecurity: A Q&A With Tech CEO Dmitriy Akulov appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

The finalists of the Barclaycard everywoman in Retail Awards have just been announced, showcasing the retail industry’s top female talent.

The changing face of retail is a key topic for UK business as evolving shopping habits, the rise of online retailers, and the disappearance of larger names on the UK’s high street are causing the industry to evolve more rapidly than ever before. Bricks and mortar retailers are having to develop new techniques to drive sales and footfall whilst both on and offline outlets are working to transform the overall customer experience and increase engagement.

These challenges make a career in retail one of the most exciting out there today and underline the importance of identifying and nurturing the industry’s exceptional talent, and those who are making a real difference to the face of retail and resurrection of the high street.

Maxine Benson MBE, Co-founder of everywoman, comments, “This year’s finalists are fantastic examples of the pioneers changing the retail industry and showcase what a rewarding and fulfilling career it can offer. We should approach the changing dynamic of the high street with a positive attitude due to the number of stimulating new businesses and techniques that we are witnessing in reaction to the current climate. We want to continue to promote women in retail and celebrate these role models who are inspiring future generations.”

Research shows that businesses with gender diverse workforces are more innovative, in touch with their customer base and more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians, yet the retail industry still suffers from a lack of diversity at senior level. Women currently make up the majority of the three million people employed within the retail industry, however research shows that women are far less likely to fill senior positions than men, with director-level roles being 26% female and 74% male.

This is why The Barclaycard everywoman in Retail Awards are so important, as they showcase the success stories of women at all stages of their careers within the industry, shining a light on their achievements and inspiring a new generation of female talent to pursue a career in retail.

If a few months ago we published the categories, we bring now the finalists.

This year’s finalists really reflect how much retail has changed to encompass a hugely diverse range of roles and businesses – from entrepreneurs who have started their own street food businesses, jewellery brands and dental hygiene companies to leaders making an impact on the long-established, household name organisations in which they work.

The judges commented on this diversity as “truly outstanding”, and also highlighted the determination, motivation and ambition that was evident across all of the finalists.

The 2019 Barclaycard everywoman in Retail Awards finalists are:

Above & Beyond Award

• Emma Bolton-King, Head of Marketing Strategy and Customer Experience, Sainsbury’s Argos, Milton Keynes
• Tracey Gilbert , Womens Store Manager, Gap, London
• Azmina Kareem, General Manager Tesco Sourcing Sri Lanka, Tesco, Colombo
• Fiona McDonnell, European Director, Beer, Wines & Spirits, Amazon, London

Customer Experience Award

• Alice Boaten, Regional Manager, Sainsbury’s Argos, London
• Amy Dunne, Project Manager, McDonald’s Restaurant Ltd, London
• Helen Flaxman, Senior Customer & Communications Manager, Superdrug, London
• Farhana Khatun, Customer Service Manager, Sainsbury’s Argos, London
• Lucy Knight, Personal Stylist, John Lewis & Partners, London

Leader Award

• Lucy Crowther , Group HR Director, Card Factory, Leeds
• Amber Kelly, People and Culture Director, Post Office Ltd, London
• Nicola Noble, Head of Quality Assurance and Operational Change, SSE, Glasgow

Entrepreneur Award – Sponsored by Amazon

• Marisa Hordern, Founder & Creative Director, Missoma Jewellery, London
• Lucy Litwack, CEO, Coco de Mer, London
• Dr Jackie Mulligan, Founder/CEO, ShopAppy Ltd, Bradford
• Tania Rahman, Founder & CEO, Chit Chaat Chai Limited, London
• Dominique Tillen, Founder and Managing Director, Brush-Baby Ltd, Winchester

Male Mentor Award – Sponsored by Specsavers

• Paul O’Neill, Divisional Manager, Sainsburys Argos, Manchester
• Gary Pickering, Director of Sales and Retention, SSE, Cheltenham
• Karl Viedge, Senior Business Partner Manager, Amazon, London

Rising Star Award – Sponsored by Tesco

• Krittika D’Silva, PhD Student, University of Cambridge, Cambridge
• Philippa Haigh, Senior Sales Executive, Farnell Land Rover Guiseley, Leeds
• Jessica Szczerbinski, Floor Manager, Gap, London

Anita Liu Harvey, Director of Strategy and Business Planning at Barclaycard added: “This year’s finalists are a testament to the incredible women working in retail, and their achievements are all the more impressive given the current change and challenges facing the sector. From entrepreneurs to long-established brand names, we are proud to partner with an awards programme which encompasses such a huge breadth and depth of talent from a diverse range of backgrounds. Huge congratulations to all 23 finalists!”

Winners will be announced on 11 September 2019 at an awards ceremony at Hilton Bankside, London.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Barclaycard Everywoman In Retail Awards Finalists Announced And They Are The Industry’s Top Female Talent appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.