Future of Digital Skills Virtual Panel
Join us for this virtual panel to hear our experts talking about the future of digital skills, and why upskilling your business is vital to success!
Colin Smith from Avado Learning will be introducing the event with insights on the capability gaps in businesses and how to tackle this pressing issue with professional training and tactical investment. This will be an expansion on the data revealed in their 2020 Beyond Skills Report.
Leyla Yildirim, Director PwC Channel Islands, will then be expanding on PwC's 2020 report, 'Digitally upskilling the Channel Islands' on why workforce transformation can no longer be put off and the data behind the importance of upskilling to keep up with automation transformation.
The panel will then joined by Lucy Kirby, Director of The Digital Greenhouse and Sarah Stonebridge, Head of Careers Guernsey where they will all discuss the implications and opportunities for Guernsey.
This event is part of National Coding Week, aiming to bring a wide range of expert knowledge, awareness and the opportunity to learn some digital skills at all levels. This week is concluded with the technology festival Future Rewired.
Panellists
Colin Smith
Facilitator at Avado LearningColin is an experienced facilitator & consultant in digital transformation, with extensive experience in the world of digital media & technology. He is also a Certified facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method and materials.
For the last 11 years, Colin has designed and facilitated learning programs internationally (NA, EMEA, APAC, LATAM) for a diverse range of companies across all sectors.
He is now one of the principle facilitators of the Google Digital Academy programme, a regular expert speaker on Squared Online, and is a Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development registered and approved facilitator
CAREER HISTORY
Colin has worked in marketing since the late 80’s, working client side, agency side, and publisher side, working in magazines and national press (The Telegraph Group). He moved into the Digital Media industry in 1998 and held senior leadership roles at companies such as LinkedIn, Yahoo!, AOL, Advertising.com & Ask Jeeves.
PERSONAL INTERESTS
A family man, married with two kids under 13 and an energetic working cocker Spaniel, living in a small, picturesque village near the Kent coast.
Fanatical about sport – watching football, cricket, golf, rugby, etc. playing Ultimate Frisbee (for GB no less) & badminton.
Passionate about food and travelling all over the world.
Leyla Yildirim
Director at PwCLeyla has been in PwC for over 20 years in a variety of roles across the global network. She joined PwC Channel Islands in 2017 as Chief
Strategy Officer and has worked with the leadership team to develop and implement a transformational vision for the firm. Since July 2020,
Leyla has served as alternate director on the board of PwC Middle East Group.
Leyla has worked across most parts of PwC including Tax, Advisory and the Financial Services network. She has been successful in roles including marketing, business development, human capital, leadership development, strategy and operations. More recently she has led the digital transformation of the Channel Islands firm and has a proven record as a driver of business change.
Over the years, she has been a key contributor to PwC’s world-leading Future of Work thought leadership and is co-author of many publications on the future workplace, the millennial generation, women in work, and, more recently, Upskilling the Channel Islands Workforce for a Digital World. Leyla was the creator of a global award winning leadership development programme for key talent in financial services.
Prior to PwC, Leyla worked in the UK legal sector where she was part of the core litigation team on a number of high profile technology litigation matters. Her early career began as a news journalist based in London, and later as a freelance in Australia.
Lucy Kirby
Director, Digital GreenhouseLucy has been involved in a number of digital change programmes, with a special interest in digital upskilling and brings a broad view of digital transformation and impact on society. With a background in education, she has undertaken Masters research into future skills development, adoption and integration of technology. She has presented internationally on the subject of digital change and adoption, invited by Google to work alongside other leading government and educationalists in summits both in the UK and Europe. Lucy is currently driving the development and growth of Guernsey’s digital and entrepreneurial ecosystem through Guernsey’s own Innovation Centre, the Digital Greenhouse, and has just completed postgraduate research with the University of Deakin in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Sarah Stonebridge
Head of Careers GuernseySarah has worked in the field of career development for over twenty years, working as a qualified Careers Adviser in schools and the community alongside work with employers to showcase careers and skills opportunities. Her experience and knowledge of career development contributes to education strategy and policy for careers/work related learning and more recently, supporting the government investment in a local skills strategy. Sarah brings her experience of career development to the panel to provide insight to the discussion around some of the challenges and opportunities individual’s face as they look to upskill, reskill or pivot their skills to remain productive and fulfilled in their working lives.