Category Archives: keighley

The reason we come to work each day

Webanywhere has come a long way in a short time. I am so proud that the company I started from my bedroom has developed into an organisation with a multimillion pound turnover and thousands of customers, both in the UK and abroad. We now have a staff of over 100 worldwide, with 80 based at the Keighley headquarters.

But this is just the start of the journey; our higher purpose is to create jobs – this is a key driving force for our company and it is why we come to work each day. This year Webanywhere plan to take on 60 more staff in key roles to drive ambitious international expansion plans, as well as to maintain and develop the high standard of customer service and product innovation for which we are known.

Webanywhere are on a recruitment drive, seeking the best and brightest to help fill these new positions in the near future. Current job opportunities span just about every department of the business, with openings in web development, sales, marketing, HR and customer support.

In such a fast growing organisation, the chance for progression is great. We make a great effort to nurture talent, and new management positions are often filled from within the company. We maintain strong ties to Keighley, and are always keen to recruit and develop local talent as part of a commitment to job creation in the town.

If you think you have what it takes, check out the careers section of our website

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Indonesian School visits WebAnywhere

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I was delighted to host a visit today from two teachers at the Pondok Pesantren Darunnajah Islamic Boarding School in Indonesia, and show them around the WebAnywhere office.

They are in the UK visiting The Holy Family Catholic School in Keighley, where I am a governor, as part of a teaching exchange programme funded by the British Council.

It was fantastic to hear their thoughts on the British educational system, and learn more about the picture in Indonesia.  Their school boards 2200 pupils, and conducts lessons 6 days a week (with Friday the only day off), with the pupils bringing their own laptops into lessons.

As Webanywhere expands internationally it is great to speak to as many educators from around the world as possible to find out what their experience of ICT in education has been, and their thoughts on its future.

Solving the school attendance problem in Keighley

I recently helped out with a project in Keighley, the location of Webanywhere HQ.

The project was a DVD production by pupils and staff from 15 of our local schools. Titled Every Day Counts, it was made to address the problem of poor school attendance in Keighley and the surrounding area. I helped out where I could and also featured on the recording. It was a pleasure to be a part of it and I’m glad people are focusing on such an important issue.

With attendance in our local area below the national average, I’d love to see an improvement. It’ll make a big difference to young people’s lives, as in the long run, children who go to school every day will always have the better job prospects.

Getting people into work is one of my passions and if there’s any way to help, I’m all for it.

The DVD was shown in our local cinema on Monday and even made the local BBC Look North News Bulletin. You can now watch Every Day Counts below. It features some really valuable insights from local customer, headteacher and community leader, John Devlin.

In the DVD, John shares some great tips on raising attendance, from a little bit of bribery to prizes each term. He also explains that they get tough if needs be, with fines and even prosecutions a possibility as well. With his attendance rising 2% in the last year, I’m really hoping people watch the video and listen to his advice.

John also made the point that “Attendance is absolutely essential. Better attendance means better achievement because the children are learning more and better achievement means better results which ultimately leads to better life choices.”

I don’t think I could have put it better myself.