Employers sought for Digital Horizon Academy

05 December 2025

Employers from Armagh, Banbridge, and Craigavon are encouraged to get involved in the employer experience days for Digital Horizon Academy.

Employers from the Armagh, Banbridge, and Craigavon area are encouraged to get involved in the employer experience days for Digital Horizon Academy.

The Digital Horizon Academy programme, run by Specialisterne and funded by the James Kane Foundation, is designed to support neurodivergent individuals interested in IT and technology careers. It runs three days a week over the course of the programme, with Wednesdays dedicated to employer experience days.

Specialisterne is seeking additional employers from the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area to participate in the employer experience days.

What time commitment is required?

Each employer only needs to commit to one Wednesday during the 13-week programme - not all 13 weeks. Employers can choose the Wednesday that suits them and your slot can be anytime between 10am and 3pm. It doesn't have to be the full five hours. The employer experience days are primarily in-person but can be hybrid if necessary.

What is involved in the employer experience days?

Employers will co-design their session with Specialisterne, which typically includes activities such as:

career pathways
day in the life talks for different roles within IT
perspective from a neurodivergent employee, etc
site/office tours
neurodivergent employee connection groups
demo of software used or short course and introductions to software
interactive activities

Up to 20 students will attend each employer experience day, though Specialisterne can be flexible for smaller companies. All participants are over 18, diagnosed or self-identify as neurodivergent, and have varying levels of IT experience. As this cohort will come in with different levels of familiarity with tools such as Microsoft Excel or Power BI, they warmly welcome any employer who is happy to offer short courses, introductions or insights into these tools, or any other knowledge that could support the students’ learning. Sessions can be hosted at the employer’s site or at Specialisterne’s office in Belfast.

While there is no requirement to offer jobs or interviews, any opportunities for placements or roles would be welcomed. Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis, and in-person engagement is strongly encouraged to maximise impact.