A new £220,000 programme designed to help Sussex employers recruit emerging technology talent has launched today, backed by £154,000 in funding from the UK Government's TechFirst programme.

Tech Talent Champions gives employers a practical route to hiring junior digital talent, whether recruiting directly into a permanent role, or using a supported paid project to assess a candidate before making a permanent offer. The programme is designed to help businesses see evidence of what candidates can do, rather than relying solely on an overcrowded CV inbox, and to rebuild employer confidence in junior recruitment across AI, cybersecurity, data, software and other technology-enabled roles.

Local tech sector supporters Sussex Innovation and TechNative Digital collaborated on a joint bid to run the programme, which is funded through an Innovate UK grant competition. TechLocal: Connecting Local Talent to Local Tech Jobs is part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology's (DSIT) TechFirst programme.

Tech Talent Champions is targeting at least 30 sustained jobs for junior talent across the Sussex tech sector, with the programme running to completion by 31 March 2027.
A series of employer events will shortly be announced in key locations across Sussex, giving businesses the chance to find out more about the programme and how to get involved.

Nigel Lambe, CEO of Sussex Innovation, said: “As a hub for deep tech in Sussex, we see it as an essential part of our role to connect ambitious businesses with the talent that will shape their future. Tech Talent Champions is about more than filling vacancies; it's about protecting junior roles in our regional tech sector, so that the next generation of specialists and leaders has a genuine route in. We're proud to be delivering a programme that gives employers the confidence to invest in emerging talent."

Dan Wallman, Founder of TechNative Digital, said: “If businesses stop hiring junior talent, we don't just create a problem for today, we create a much bigger one for tomorrow. A sustainable tech economy depends on employers championing opportunities for people at the start of their careers. Tech Talent Champions exists to both celebrate those employers and make their decision easier, by giving them real evidence of what junior candidates can do before they commit."

Catrina Baker-Bassett, Managing Director of DabApps, is a founding ambassador of the Tech Talent Champions programme. She said: “At DabApps, we’ve always believed that people at the start of their careers bring huge value when given the right support, trust and room to grow. Some of our strongest team members started with us through apprenticeships and bootcamp routes, and they bring fresh thinking, energy and perspective into the business. Championing new talent is not just about creating opportunities for individuals; it’s also one of the best ways to build a stronger, more diverse and resilient tech sector locally.”

Jeremy Horne, Founder and Director of Datacove, is a founding ambassador of the Tech Talent Champions programme. He said: “At Datacove, we're passionate about inspiring the talent of tomorrow by building a team through a less than traditional hiring approach - our team comprises of a former maths teacher turned Data Scientist, a Psychology graduate who has worked their way to Lead Data Scientist and a marketing apprentice who recently graduated with distinction. By championing entry level talent, you bring people into the team that are passionate about learning, growing and making a difference from day one - meaning that both we win, and our clients and partners win too.”

Employers interested in finding out more can visit the Tech Talent Champions website at www.techtalentchampions.com to sign the Tech Talent Charter and start your journey towards being a Tech Talent Champion.