Avado announces the FastFutures Movement with its 'Impact Report & Strategic Vision 2022'

The report charts the transformation of FastFutures into a full-scale movement, supporting the upskilling of employees & diverse job seekers in the digital economy

LONDON, Feb. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today FastFutures, powered by Avado, is proud to announce the top achievements of 2022 in its 'Impact Report & Strategic Vision 2022'. These include the BT Group sponsorship which supported 1,600 learners, Department for Education funding awards to deliver four critical skills bootcamps, and a pledge to upskill 10,000 learners in 2023.

The Impact Report highlights diversity as a key pillar for FastFutures, with 64% female participants, 79% from diverse backgrounds, 33% living in the 50% most deprived areas of the UK and 38% unemployed (10x higher than the general population). All 100% of FastFutures participants were looking to reskill for a digital role, and 69% secured jobs upon completion.

A highlight of the year was the launch of new, role-specific, Skill Bootcamp programmes: Data Analyst - Fundamentals, Data Analyst - Advanced, Digital Marketer, and a broader Digital Career Accelerator programme designed to enhance employability. A specific Data Bootcamp was also launched in partnership with BT Group, which focused on building capability in Power BI, with 85% diverse participants and 74% from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Coming in 2023 is the Generative AI Skills Bootcamp, focusing on in-depth training to harness the power of Generative AI tools and radically improve performance and productivity.

Key to FastFutures' success have been the strong partnerships with leading Employer Partners, including BT Group, Shell, Legal & General, Trinnovo Group, Flutter, Health Education England, Tate & Lyle, Syncona, Blenheim Chalcot, Agilisys, Modulr and Syncona. Employer Partners have supported the programme through sponsorship, mentorship and giving learners insights into the digital workplace. The partnership with BT Group, one of the UK's most innovative brands, has been a pivotal milestone for FastFutures.

FastFutures has ambitious plans. By the end of 2023, FastFutures has pledged to upskill 10,000 learners, place 1,000 people into jobs, and add 100 employers to its network. The FastFutures umbrella will expand even further, with Avado's Apprenticeships programmes redesigned and incorporated into the FastFutures Movement. Above all, FastFutures is committed to providing learners and employers with the digital skills, talent and opportunities they need to succeed in today's rapidly changing world.

"At FastFutures, we are incredibly proud of the positive impact our programmes have had on learners across the UK to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in a rapidly changing world.  The stories of personal growth that our participants have shared with us are a testament to the power of education and mentorship," explains Rosa Cerron-Reina, Social Impact Programme Director at Avado, the organisation behind the FastFutures programmes.

"We're thrilled to be the lead sponsor of FastFutures this year," says Lauren Kahn, Responsible Tech & Human Rights Director at BT Group. "It's a great way to develop future talent for the country and inspire diverse and talented young people to pursue careers in digital and data. Through FastFutures, we have been able to reach over 1,600 young people in 2022 to support our aim of building a digital talent movement for BT Group and the UK."  

"The NHS and wider health and care sector has a shortage of skilled digital, data, technology (DDaT), and clinical informatics talent, and projections suggest that the demand for these skills is going to increase over the next decade and proactive action must be taken to bridge the skills gap. We are partnering with FastFutures to provide us with an entrepreneurial, engaging, and fresh approach to tackle the skills gap, with our future workforce front and centre, and have ambitious plans to make an impact across the system," shares Patrick Mitchell, Director of Innovation, Digital & Transformation, Health Education England. 

Read the full report here.

About FastFutures

FastFutures, powered by Avado, is a movement to champion ambitious and diverse talent across the UK. FastFutures focuses on training and development of key digital skills via Apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps, provides employability support to its learners whilst supporting the UK's most ambitious organisations with a talent pipeline and upskilling their existing talent.  FastFutures was launched in 2020, as a unique work-readiness programme for diverse young people to future proof their careers in an environment disrupted by the pandemic.  Since then, it has grown into a movement that has supported 7000+ learners.

Learn more about FastFutures.

About Avado

Avado is an award-winning learning partner, who design and deliver digital, interactive learning experiences. These are aimed at equipping a diverse pool of UK talent with the future skills that they need to power both their own growth and that of their organisations. Avado are proud to support some of the largest and most innovative organisations in the UK with these important transformation and upskilling programmes including BT Group, Blenheim Chalcot, Legal & General, NHS and more.

Learn more about Avado.

SOURCE FastFutures & Avado