BJSS creates 80 new technology roles for young people

International consultancy BJSS has announced its BJSS Academy will recruit 80 new staff by 2021, as it looks to help young professionals retrain for the digital economy. The firm will now look to fill the roles with school leavers, apprentices, university graduates, and people retraining or returning to work.

The Bank of England forecasts for 7.5% unemployment for the UK this winter, something which may have to be revised up considerably if an increasingly likely second lockdown is ushered in, leaving many young workers between jobs, and looking to return to employment in the coming months. The situation is almost certain to be further exacerbated by the Government’s decision to end its job preservation scheme in October.

Now, as the consultancy looks to further ramp up its capacity, BJSS has announced the creation of 80 new roles for young people in the firm. The positions will be filled by school leavers, apprentices, university graduates, and people retraining or returning to work, between now and 2021. BJSS announced the UK-wide programme to accelerate the recruitment of younger consultants at the annual Women in Leeds Digital (WiLD) conference, currently taking place online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Founded in 1993, Leeds-based consultancy BJSS has an annual turnover of more than £140 million. Recent years have seen BJSS invest heavily in expanding its operations, both inside and outside the UK. The firm boasts a staff count of more than 1,500 – almost doubling over the last two years – while it has opened presences across the world, including a Glasgow locale, and hubs in New York and Lisbon.

Stuart Bullock, Managing Director, BJSS, commented, “BJSS has always been an enthusiastic employer of young people, and I’m thrilled that we’re rising to the skills challenge by extending opportunities to people who are returning to work… while ensuring that we maintain the expertise we need to deliver some of Britain’s most high-profile projects. Getting people working in roles where they will thrive is a fundamental national priority and we’re pleased to play our part in supporting Britain’s economic recovery.”

The intake will become part of the consultancy’s BJSS Academy, which is looking to play an important role in up-skilling people to adapt to the digitalised economy. Some of those recruited by BJSS will be helped to retrain for broad ranging careers across the firm’s portfolio of consulting roles, while benefitting from a programme of internal, external and on the job learning that is carefully designed to nurture their consulting and delivery skills.

Since its introduction in 2015, the BJSS Academy has recorded several successes, including software engineer Aaron Gibbon being named the continent’s top young software tester at the 2016 European Software Testing Awards. The current cohort comprises 33 young people from across the UK, and runs until early October.