DataKirk, a leading advocate for diversity and innovation in Scotland, has unveiled its Scottish Ethnic Minority Talent Summit & Festival (SEMTSF) 2024, marking a significant evolution in its continued commitment to inclusivity and empowerment.

In response to the dynamic landscape of Scotland’s workforce and economy, SEMTSF hopes to revolutionise the narrative surrounding talent, diversity, and opportunity.

Embracing a fresh perspective, SEMTSF will extend over a 5-day period, from October 28th to November 1st, 2024, spanning across the major cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, and Aberdeen.

SEMTSF is poised to address the critical challenges facing Scotland’s demographic fabric and economic vitality. Amidst evolving UK Government Immigration regulations and talent dynamics, SEMTSF stands as a pivotal platform to cultivate innovative solutions for attracting and retaining skilled ethnic minorities in Scotland.

Through engaging discussions, interactive sessions, and collaborative workshops, SEMTSF will explore avenues for economic mobility, cultural inclusion, and response strategies to the cost of living crisis. By harnessing the power of diverse skill sets, SEMTSF endeavours to foster positive disruption and drive sustainable innovation across sectors.

Manira Ahmad, chief officer of Public Health Scotland, will act as the Chair for the five-day conference.

The event hopes to unite stakeholders from across sectors to catalyse transformative action and forge enduring partnerships, to create a more united Scotland.

Recent reports into the diversity of the UK tech sector has left much to be desired: according to Tech Talent Charter’s survey, 18% of tech workers in the survey are Asian or British Asian, with 5% being Black, African, Caribbean or Black British, and 2% being mixed or multiple ethnic groups.

Diversity numbers, however, are skewed towards London, leaving an even starker picture for the rest of the UK, including Scotland.

DIGIT attended DataKirk’s landmark event, The Scottish Black Talent Summit, last year, which highlighted the opportunities Scotland’s diverse talent pool had to offer.

“It is clear that it’s us people that makes this country what it is: it’s not the weather, it’s not the accent, it’s not the landscape,” Abel Aboh, data management lead at the Bank of England .said at the Scottish Black Talent Summit last October. “It is people.”

Recommended reading

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

The event highlighted the barriers ethnic minorities face in entering the Scottish tech sector, as well as the many benefits a diverse workforce can have for companies.

This year’s expanded event hopes to invigorate this message, while developing a community and beneficial ecosystem to Scotland’s diverse talent pool.