Initial feedback saw a 76% increase in students saying they have enough information to consider a career in digital, taking them from an average of 4.75 out of 10, to 8.35 out of 10.
Aspiration Digital, the multi award-winning digital skills conference designed to educate students on diverse digital career paths, returned to the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus on Wednesday 3rd December 2025 for its seventh Kent-based event.
Attended by over 550 students, initial feedback saw a 76% increase in students saying they have enough information to consider a career in digital, taking them from an average of 4.75 out of 10, to 8.35 out of 10.
Aspiration Digital, which was founded in 2018 by Becky Simms, CEO of the performance marketing agency Reflect Digital, aims to educate students aged 16-18 - as well as anyone beginning their digital career - on the diverse opportunities available in the digital industry and equip them with the knowledge, experience and career pathways needed to thrive.
Students were able to attend engaging talks, interviews and panel discussions from Personal Branding to AI and Entrepreneurship, delivered by industry professionals including:
Gori Yahaya, Founder & CEO, Upskill Universe
Matt Webb, Co-Founder, OutcomePath
Claire Hutchings, award-winning Consultant, Agency Adventure
This year’s event featured several new exciting elements:
Government presence: The Government’s Digital Skills Council held its quarterly meeting on site to see the event in action - a significant endorsement of its impact.
Cutting-edge technology demonstration: An interactive showcase of emerging technology took place, with stands from Docking Station and many of the University of Kent’s departments, including ICCI and Cyber Security.
Pop-up podcast studio: Aspiration Digital held a pop-up studio for its Behind the Future podcast, the popular digital career-focused show and launched a competition throughout the day to find the next student co-host.
Attendees were offered the chance to network with some of the most influential business leaders in the digital sphere, as well as digital communities and educational institutions, including its partner The University of Kent. Sponsors include: The Army, Channel Assist, Climbing Trees, Publicis Groupe UK, Docking Station, and The University of Greenwich.
Aspiration Digital has grown significantly throughout 2025, impacting 2,000 students nationally, including its biggest event to date at Bluewater in March, which welcomed over 1,000 attendees.
The conference recently expanded beyond Kent for the first time, launching in Newcastle to ignite digital careers in the North East. Further expansion is planned for the year ahead, with Aspirational Digital coming to Cardiff in early 2026 and talks underway with universities across Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Leicester.
The event came as research this year reveals over half of working-age adults can’t complete all 20 basic digital tasks, which industry and government agree are essential for work, with the UK economy missing out on a £23 billion boost due to the lack of basic skills.
Research from Aspiration Digital also found that 60% of 18-25-year-olds still find themselves in digital roles by chance rather than by design, with 67% of that same age group citing that digital careers were never mentioned at school.
In November, Aspiration Digital Founder, Becky Simms was awarded the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Business in Kent honour for her dedication to educating and inspiring students, while Reflect Digital was simultaneously crowned Employer of the Year at this year’s Kent Chamber of Commerce Awards.
Becky Simms, Founder and CEO of Aspiration Digital & Reflect Digital, says, “Aspiration Digital was created to ignite curiosity and inspire students about the exciting career opportunities within the digital sector, an area too often overlooked in traditional school curricula.
“I’m absolutely thrilled we’ve been able to return to Kent again this year after previously hosting this event in March. We hadn’t planned to host two events in Kent this year, but the demand from schools has been so high that we couldn't resist hosting another. We just love being able to inspire future digital leaders right here in the region. With incredible support from our sponsors and a stellar line-up of speakers, the day was packed with insights and practical advice to help students carve out their own path in the industry.
“I’m genuinely grateful to the local businesses who’ve backed this event. Together, we’re creating moments that could change lives and strengthen the future of the region’s already thriving digital community.”
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