Award wins have been the catalyst to develop the business and cement service offer, says entrepreneur
ENTRIES are now open for the 2019 BrightSparc and Digital Awards, run by technology forum Biztech.
And the hopefuls will be looking to follow in the footsteps of entrepreneur Wayne Cartmel. He and his team at MyNewTerm, a leading jobs platform for teaching jobs, school support vacancies and education roles across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes, won the BrightSparcNatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator Award for Best Start-Up Technology Business and the award for Best Technology Collaboration in 2018.
The success came three years after Wayne won the BrightSparc Student award. He reflects on the impact winning has had on both himself and his business.
Has winning the BrightSparc and Digital Awards been important to your career?
Absolutely. Winning the student award in 2015 proved the catalyst to take the idea from an initial prototype, to formally develop and launch the MyNewTerm platform. The award gave me the confidence that my idea of a web application to utilise open data to connect job seekers and education employers had real traction and gave me the boost I needed to go for it.
The recognition this award brought – and the feedback we received – encouraged me to launch the business. The two subsequent accolades in 2018 was a fantastic achievement for the whole team and cemented our ability to provide a digital service.
How important is technology to business today and how will this affect future jobs roles?
Cutting edge technology underpins our business. However, as new technologies are continually coming through, we are always looking at new solutions to improve our services – there is not time to stand still.
The same can be said across all sectors. Within the next five years many current jobs will be superseded by automation as businesses drive for greater efficiency, with many new positions created which don’t currently exist.
Why is it important to recognise digitalisation in businesses?
The pace of change in digital transformation is exponential. There are new ways to engage with customers, more innovation in the workforce and more opportunities to harness data insights and it is driving businesses forward.
Milton Keynes is a hotbed of digital innovation right now and it is important that the achievements of these businesses are recognised. Biztech’s BrightSparc and Digital Awards are unlike any other local awards, as they recognise the entrepreneurial pursuit of technological and digital innovations.
The student award is particularly coveted. Why is this accolade so significant?
It is vital that we inspire the next generation of employees. Milton Keynes has a number of great educational establishments on its doorstep, many of whom are part of the Biztech network and supporters of the BrightSparcawards. This proximity offers the widening digital community an opportunity to reach fresh talent while enhancing their connections to companies and people within digitalisation across the SEMLEP regions.
Find out more about entering, sponsoring or attending Biztech’s 2019 BrightSparc and Digital Awards, which will take place over lunch at the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator Hub in Central Milton Keynes on November 22. Visit www.brightsparcawards.co.uk.
Keep up to date with Biztech #BrightSparc Awards on the LinkedIn Group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2462745/and Twitter @MKBiztech.
