Manchester Digital has announced a full re-launch and re-brand of its annual Digital Skills Festival, taking place in February 2025.
For over a decade, the Digital Skills Festival has been a cornerstone event, uniting the tech community across Greater Manchester. Now it has been re-designed for a new era to help propel the growth of the regional tech sector.
Katie Gallagher OBE, Manchester Digital’s managing director, said: “With a new Government focused on Apprenticeship Levy reform and the development of Skills England, it’s vital that the region and the tech sector have a strong voice in shaping new skills and tech policies.”
“Manchester, one of Europe’s fastest-growing tech hubs, is home to over 86,000 tech professionals and the Digital Skills Festival is the perfect platform to reflect and focus on the workforce that we need to build and skill for the future. It’s an opportunity for tech businesses to showcase their commitment to innovation, diversity and community impact while strengthening the link between industry and education.”
This year’s festival will focus on key themes—pathways into technology, talent, diversity, leadership, and of course, skills. The event runs from Monday, February 10 to Friday, February 14, at three iconic cultural venues which will be transformed into hubs of innovation, talent, and leadership.
Highlights include a celebration of diversity led by our flagship programme Digital Her, the return of the ever-successful Talent Day with an emphasis on early pathway options, an exciting tech competition for school-aged children and an exclusive VIP Leaders Evening, called Digital Skills Feast to wrap up the week in style.
The new branding has been designed by Stockport-based creative agency GOTO Creative and is vibrant, modern and dynamic. Through its use of colourful graphic iconography and contemporary portrait imagery, it is reflective of the diverse digital communities it represents.
Alison Ross, chair of the Manchester Digital Board and chief people and operations officer at Auto Trader, added, “The Digital Skills Festival brings together the tech sector and looks at how we can collectively work together to encourage more tech talent, increase diversity within the sector and grow innovation.
“Developing a talent pathway and bringing in new entrants to the tech industry with the right key skills is paramount to the growth of the whole sector across our region.”
We are thrilled to be welcoming AtkinsRéalis as our Festival Headline Sponsor for 2025.
Sam Stephens, Head of Digital says “AtkinsRéalis is proud to celebrate Manchester’s thriving tech community as Headline Festival Sponsor of the 2025 Digital Skills Festival. Our North West teams are forging ahead with the digital innovation needed to deliver sustainable infrastructure, nuclear and clean energy, and we’re looking forward to sharing the wealth of our career opportunities in Manchester to help power a net zero future.”
