I’m delighted to share that the Avanade Aleto Tech Leadership program launched in June this year. Working directly with our charity partner the Aleto Foundation, I was able to lead the creation of a bespoke program with an Avanade spin: aiming to make the technology industry more diverse by preparing young people from ethnic minorities to thrive in our ever-changing digital world.

For me, the Avanade Aleto Tech Leadership program is the perfect intersection of my roles as the Avanade United Kingdom and Ireland (UKI) Engagement and Inclusion Lead and the UKI Citizenship Champion. I’m so proud of how we’re making a genuine human impact by supporting young people to become future leaders, enabling youth from ethnic minorities to see role models that look like them within the technology sector and providing mentorship opportunities for employees to mentor these young people, hear their stories and learn from them, an invaluable opportunity for every member of our team.

My two roles allow me to combine my passions for employee engagement and experience and for inclusion and diversity into the commitment to making a genuine human impact. Keeping a strong focus on social good and enabling young people to do more through the power of technology, I was able to mobilise teams across the business to focus on making a difference across different sectors, areas and programs such as the Avanade Aleto Tech Leadership program.

This exciting program consists of a three-day leadership bootcamp, professional mentoring and technology workshop to prepare these future leaders. We kicked off with the leadership bootcamp, which included technology challenges, public speaking workshops, insights on leadership, personal skills building and group challenges. Participants also heard inspiring speeches from Avanade and Aleto leaders, including, Andy Gillet, Avanade UKI General Manager; David Villa-Clarke, Aleto CEO; Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE, Aleto Chair; and Pam Maynard, Avanade CEO, personally welcomed the delegates!

‘’It was an honour to meet everyone and to share my personal career journey. It is such a pleasure to introduce these future leaders to our industry and our company and to share our vision about making a genuine human impact in everything we do.‘’

Pam Maynard, Avanade CEO.

We divided participants into five teams, and each team brought something special to the table with their innovative ideas and new perspectives The winning team, led by Avanade’s Carl Cookson, showed a great understanding of what Avanade employees want with their Avanade App!

“This has been an absolute pleasure… I can’t begin to tell you how impressed I was by all the participants… every single one should be really proud. I really enjoyed being part of the judging panel… what they have achieved in just three days is absolutely incredible. The teams have given us some fantastic ideas to take away, develop and move forward with… And this is just the beginning.”

Andy Gillett, Avanade General Manager for UKI.

We heard from participants how the bootcamp provided a unique opportunity to learn new skills, build links within the industry and develop leadership potential. But it was seeing the young people open up, take in knowledge, react to stories from BAME (Black Asian Minority Ethnic) leaders and embrace the inspirational content that truly made me realise just how important this program is. Everyone deserves a chance, and this program directly addresses the equity and justice needed for an inclusive world.

“I am really excited to connect with bright like-minded people and hope my mentor and I will get along really well. I can’t wait to be blown away.”

Annette Afua Akyeanowa Amoa Nottingham, a participant.

The program also gives participants an opportunity to learn from some of the best people in the field. In the next phase of the program, participants will be paired with a dedicated Avanade mentor for nine months to help them map out their future career and leadership skills.

“Most leaders will tell you that having a mentor who helped guide them and provided them with a safe space to explore ideas was a critical element in their career journeys. We see the mentoring element of this programme as a wonderful opportunity for our Avanade mentors to share their knowledge and experiences of the technology industry with their mentees.”

Nathalie Cousseau, Avanade UKI HR Director.  

In addition to being invited to our annual FUEL Conference in July, participants will also participate in three technology workshops on a range of subjects, presented by Avanade experts, such as Consulting with Python, Communication 101 and an Introduction to Design Led Thinking, to help them develop the skills needed for a technology career.

The skills delegates learn during the program will be incredibly useful in their careers and even their social lives. But it’s not only the delegates that benefit. Our UKI leadership team know that employees’ experiences come first. For our employees, having the support to get involved in programs such as these allows them to bring even more of themselves into Avanade. Personally, I had the opportunity to work with committed employees on projects and issues they’re passionate about, project manage, influence, build relationships, empower and develop my leadership style whilst working towards a common goal.

This year’s program is just the beginning; next year we plan to go bigger and better and make a greater impact for many more young people from minority backgrounds and for our employees. The support and commitment from Avanade’s leadership means everyone is empowered to make a difference. It shows everyone how much Avanade cares that the human experience comes first.