Sunderland Software City

Whatever your interests and whatever your skills, there's an exciting career for you in software

Did you know that the North East is rapidly becoming one of the most important places on Earth for the software industry?

Over 350 software companies are now active in our region meaning more opportunities than ever for you to build an exciting and rewarding career in the sector – or even start a business of your own!

What’s the first thing that comes into your head when you think about a career in software? That you’ve got to be huge computer geek? That you spend your life cooped up in some dark basement staring at a screen? That it’s incredibly dull?

The reality is very different. Software is everywhere - there isn’t a single industry on Earth which doesn’t use it.

That means whatever you’re into - music, fashion, computer games, films, sport, anything! – you can work there through software.

North East companies are now developing software which does all sorts of amazing things, including…

• Creating the special effects on some of Hollywood’s biggest films and some of the world’s most popular games and apps.
• Being used by companies like Adidas, Toshiba and River Island to send out more than 1,500,000,000,000 emails every year!
• Making call centres less annoying by making computerised agents act like real people
• Helping build sporting stadiums like Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and The Oval Cricket Ground.
• Helping contestants Ask the Audience on “Who wants to be a millionaire?”

Not all jobs in the industry are for software developers – even if developing software itself isn’t for you, software companies need people with skills in lots of other areas – anything from sales and marketing to graphic design and administration.

If you think software might be the career for you, Sunderland Software City can help with:

• Higher education programmes at local universities, designed especially to meet the needs of the software industry – supported with bursaries and scholarships
• The Sunderland Software City Hatchery, offering space and support for you to develop your own software businesses.
• Placement schemes with local firms helping you get experience in the industry. 
• Fun events in your schools, showing you what a great place to work software is.