Horwich Farrelly helps students with online safety and security advice

Horwich Farrelly, the leading specialist insurance law firm headquartered in Manchester, demonstrated its commitment to innovation and investing in future talent by hosting a series of Digital Resilience Workshops for students from a number of colleges in Greater Manchester.

Organised by the Salford Foundation, the workshops at Trafford College in Trafford and Pendleton Sixth Form College in Salford, formed part of the Inspired to Aspire digital programme partnering employers with students who express an interest in a specific workplace or profession.

Horwich Farrelly’s involvement is part of its ongoing commitment to working in the local community to help individuals understand more about the digital world, and encourage the next generation to consider a career in law.

The Digital Resilience Workshops were created in order to enable students to expand their digital literacy access to allow for enhanced livelihood and employment opportunities, as well as promote pathways to technology careers through education, training, skills building, internships and mentoring.

As part of its sessions, which the firm is also planning to offer to elderly/vulnerable people in their community, Horwich Farrelly’s team focused on digital footprints and helped students to understand exactly how information posted online is used by the legal and insurance industries to tackle fraud.

Using some previous cases as examples, the students were able to see just how crucial social media sites can be in closing the net on fraudsters and how these techniques are likely to develop in future. The workshops also include some tips and tricks for the students on keeping themselves safe online, highlighting how easy it can be to share more than you think you have – particularly in light of data breach scandals such as Cambridge Analytica.

Commenting on the success of the workshops, Rick Preston, Head of Horwich Farrelly’s Intelligence Team said: “Being part of the digital mentoring programme with the Salford Foundation has been an incredibly rewarding experience. At Horwich Farrelly, we believe in the power of mentoring and nurturing people to help them recognise their key strengths and gain confidence going into the workplace.

“Crucially, we want to create more ways for people to access law as a career and we are committed to working with the local community to share our expertise and build a new generation of passionate legal professionals.”

Intelligence Analyst, Rachael Thomas, who devised and led the workshops said: “It is a great privilege to spend time with the young people who attend these workshops. I love having the opportunity to share my knowledge with them, educating them on online security and inspiring them to view a career in law as a real and achievable goal.”