D-Day is coming soon to a school – not a beach – near you.

Tomorrow, 10 October, the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) is hosting the first-ever Digital Day as 59 schools have been partnered with digital agencies to introduce secondary schoolchildren to the UK’s digital industry.

BIMA hopes the event will spur interest in the industry and promote entry into digital fields. BIMA has designed five challenges on which agencies can advise students throughout the day including design, mobile, social media, coding and multimedia. It was conceived as a means of providing assistance to traditional instruction at keeping pace with the fast-moving tech industry.

Andrew Henning, chair of education at BIMA, says in an online post, “Digital has grown fast and as a sector we have an increasing lack of talented people to employ. If this situation continues to worsen, it will become a major threat to our member's future. It will also inhibit any additional advantages the sector can deliver to the UK economy overall.”

In total, 78 schools and 1800 students are set to take part in the BIMA event. Agencies are invited to spend a day with their partnered school advising on the digital industry and giving an overview of their own area of work. Agencies will work with technology, art and ICT teachers at their partnered schools and engage with students aged 14-18.