IT & Tech Professionals to connect in Nelson

I had the pleasure to attend the local end of the year celebration of IT Professionals New Zealand, the largest and most trusted tech body in the country.
Working with Social Media that is so strongly linked to IT & Tech, it was very interesting to hear CEO of ITP NZ, Paul Matthews talk about some of the latest news and developments, especially from a regional point of view, and learn about the plans for next year. 

CEO of IT Professionals New Zealand Paul Matthews sharing his insights and future plans

Some of the topics that caught my attention:

• IT & Tech is currently the 3rd largest industry in NZ - definitely a good momentum to be involved.
• The new digital curriculum that will be compulsory starting in 2020 - every child in NZ will be exposed at school to digital technologies, concepts on how technology works and how to get the most out of it. 

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Educating the future generation to be able to use digital technologies, but even more, how to use them smartly and with a purpose. New Zealand is definitely aiming high here and looks like they are going to be among the leaders of change in this field on a global level. It will be exciting to watch the story unfold.

I was also pleased to learn that ITP NZ supports professional development by organising networking events, offering educational programs and also certifications.

The Nelson Branch is one of the newest additions to the 7 ITP NZ branches across the country, and there will be more and more opportunities for the local professionals to participate in IT & Tech related discussions.

This audience is definitely present here, as we could see it during the Startup Weekend and the recent HackNelson, not to mention various local meetups, already established businesses, and also newcomers who all bring their talents to the region.

In my opinion, with a good strategy to reach and attract the interest of people who will find this topic compelling or relevant, ITP Nelson has a great potential to connect local professionals and become a new hub for discussing ideas, trends, education and developing partnerships. Partnerships that will all contribute to the region’s growth.

I am looking forward to being part of this process, and considering joining ITP NZ myself. Talking to some of the members, my impression was that leveraging the power of social media will definitely be one of the important areas to focus on in the near future.

​The next event is on the 7th of December - ICT Lunch. More info here.

Please share it with your network if you feel it’s relevant. Let’s connect the local professionals in the Nelson region so ideas, as well as local IT & Tech thrive.

​The original article was published on LinkedIn.