Leading IT company Fujitsu was one of the proud sponsors of this year’s Belfast Telegraph IT Awards, one of the biggest celebrations of Northern Ireland’s technology sector. Taking place at the MAC Belfast, the awards brought together innovative and creative leaders from across the region’s vibrant IT sector.
As sponsor of the ‘Young IT Professional of the Year’ award, Fujitsu crowned Michael Way, Software Engineer at ASOS as this year’s winner.
Speaking about the awards, Claire Mc Bride, Account Executive at Fujitsu, and a member of the judging panel said:
“As an organisation Fujitsu works to encourage and empower young people into IT roles through our various talent development and community engagement programmes. Supporting the ‘Young IT Professional of the Year’ award is a great way to shine a light on future leaders and mentors.
Congratulating Michael, Claire added, “We are delighted that Michael took home this award on the night. This category attracts the highest number of entries every year so there is a lot of competition. Michael’s dedication to following his dreams and actively mentor and support colleagues made his application stand out. He is a true inspiration to those who are interested in a career in the IT sector. On behalf of everyone at Fujitsu I offer my congratulations to all the finalists and winners at this year’s awards.”
Beginning his career in the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland, Michael discovered a passion for all things technical and so applied for the ‘Skill Up’ Postgraduate Certificate at Ulster University. This meant late nights, recorded lectures and using annual leave for studying instead of holidays. Michael noted how the process was challenging, but extremely rewarding, saying, “it scratched that same part of my brain that getting a difficult cryptic crossword clue does.”
Sharing some words of wisdom to those looking to branch into the IT industry, Michael said; “I truly believe there is no better time to start a career in IT. The investment over the past few years into NI from global tech companies is a real vote of confidence in the sector. There are so many opportunities, from the schemes I availed of like Skill Up and Assured Skills Academies, to the internships and apprenticeships being offered by many companies such as Fujitsu. My main piece of advice for anyone interested in getting into tech is to bet on yourself. As I look back on the past few years, so many small steps have led me to where I am. Say yes to small things. There is nothing wrong with saying “I’ll try that”.
Reflecting on his enormous success on the night, Michael added, “It can be so hard to reflect on how far you have come both personally and professional, but receiving this award feels like a real moment of arrival for me. A recognition of the hard work and setbacks I had getting here and the risks that I took.
“Looking back on pictures from the night, of Claire from Fujitsu handing me the award with a huge smile on my face, I think of how much happier I am now for taking those risks. Hopefully a sign of many more happy years to come in this fantastic industry I am lucky to work in. I am so excited to see who home the award next year and find out what it means to them.”
Operating in Northern Ireland for over 40 years, Fujitsu is one of the largest technology employers in the region with over 600 members of staff. Keep up to date with Fujitsu Northern Ireland on LinkedIn and Instagram.
