DataKirk is taking action to educate ethnic minority teens in Scotland whose education is at risk due to their parent’s immigration status.

According to a survey conducted by DataKirk, an Edinburgh-based charity group working to address the diversity and attainment gap in the data economy, teenagers aged between 16 and 19 had their undergraduate education prospects at risk due to their parent’s immigration status.

Migrants, including vital and essential healthcare workers, earning typically less than £25,000 per annum, and their children are facing the challenge of paying international fees amounting to £20,000 to £35,000 per year for higher education.

The financial burden is compelling many to abandon or postpone their higher education aspirations, which hurts their educational progress and economic mobility, as well as stalling prospective workers from filling in the technical skills gap.

In response to this issue, DataKirk’s team is taking proactive measures by offering a Diploma in Data Analytics at SCQF level 8 to these disadvantaged teenagers.

It is crucial to ensure that young people who have completed a significant portion of their schooling in Scotland are not left behind.

Beyond addressing the challenges faced by underprivileged teenagers, DataKirk is committed to narrowing the gender gap and addressing the data divide in Scotland. The organisation’s 2024 empowerment programmes include:
· Girls in Tech for ethnic minority girls
· Women in Tech for ethnic minority women, and
· Data Visualisation for ethnic minorities with parental responsibilities.

Recommended reading

• Scottish Black Talent Summit: People Make Scotland
• Datakirk: Championing Scottish Black Talent Year Round
• DataKirk Partners with TechScaler for 2nd Scottish Black Talent Summit

The registration for these 2024 training programmes is now open.

To enrol in these initiatives,  eligible individuals can register for free or fully funded programmes by accessing DataKirk’s website: https://lnkd.in/eDtHebqe.

Previously, DIGIT has had the pleasure of attending and covering DataKirk’s Scottish Black Talent Summit which discussed and addressed some of the many challenges migrants and ethnic minorities face in the Scottish job market, as well as the opportunities offered by harnessing the Scottish black talent pool.