Industry veterans Ian Kilpatrick and Dr Colin Williams have opened up on their efforts to promote the IT channel to the next generation, with the latter saying he wants “to make it easier for tomorrow’s me”.
The duo were two of the more experienced leaders featured in the recent Oxygen Influencers report. Compiled in partnership with Nebula Global Services, it highlighted 25 women and men who are driving positive industry change from outside the boardroom.
Williams and Kilpatrick have been heavily involved in schools outreach work, with the latter revealing he wants his Tech Channel Ambassadors initiative to become nationwide.
“My goal is for it to go viral, so that we have ambassadors in every region and all the major towns – and in particular in all the disadvantaged schools – and take the message to schools that there are opportunities in the IT channel,” Kilpatrick said in a special Oxygen Influencers podcast (see clip above, and full podcast, bottom).
Computacenter’s Williams said his efforts to promote the IT sector in schools and universities are driven by a desire to “make it easier for tomorrow’s me”, meanwhile.
“The high point for me is seeing the difference you can make. Someone has to stand up and make [students] aware that tech isn’t just for geeky individuals,” Williams said.
“We now live in a world that’s underpinned by digital technology… so wouldn’t it be great if that was your profession?”
“Line in the sand moment”
In the podcast, the duo also reflected on how the industry has changed during their 30-year plus careers, particularly when it comes to diversity.
“It still isn’t necessarily great for ethnic minorities. There still aren’t enough black business leaders in it,” Williams said.
Williams also claimed the industry is now facing a “line in the sand moment” when it comes to AI.
“In the same way that 30-plus years ago the dawn of the x86 world transformed IT and gave me and Ian a career, I see that happening now with AI – but a lot of people don’t realise it,” he said.
“We’ve got existing people in the workforce who need to reinvent to make themselves relevant for the future, and we’ve got tomorrow’s workforce who doesn’t realise just how important AI dexterity is,” he said.
“The big standout has been getting a community together inside the channel,” Kilpatrick said of his career high point.
“So many people have come forward who are doing things in schools of their own volition. [Tech Channel Ambassadors] is trying to do that in a structured way to spread that message and get more people to go into more schools. It’s been brilliant. I love it.”
The duo reflected on their careers at Computacenter and Wick Hill/Nuvias, as well as their chosen walk-on songs (at which point Kilpatrick revealed his dubious vocal abilities once saw him kicked out of his school choir).
In the podcast, the pair discuss:
- Why schools outreach is so important to them
- Their career highs
- What it’s really like working for Computacenter
- Whether Kilpatrick sold Wick Hill at the right time
- What they have planned for the next 12 months
- Who has the better walk-on song
Catch all our Episode Influencer podcasts below:
Episode 1: Former teacher and carpenter on bagging £1m deals in the channel
Episode 2: ‘They’re going to check up on that’ – ESG duo drop bombshell
Episode 4: ‘Grow your own is the best way by a mile’ – industry duo share top tips on attracting and retaining talent
