NEVER has the importance of technology been highlighted more than during this pandemic: students learn remotely, we work from home and ‘social distancing’ and ‘self-isolation’ are the norm.

By Anila Baig

We spoke to Dr Kim Johnston, manager at CityFibre, the UK’s third national digital infrastructure platform, which plans to bring superfast broadband to eight million homes over the next five years.

The ambitious programme will make Bradford one of the most up-to-date and hi-tech cities on the planet with gigabit speeds of 1000Mbps.

But Dr Johnston she has another string to her bow which, in the current coronavirus crisis, couldn’t be more topical.

WITH a father who worked as an aeronautical engineer, the sky was literally the limit when it came to choosing a career for Dr Kim Johnston.

She grew up in Northern Ireland listening to his stories of how he fixed planes for the RAF.

“It didn’t occur to me that going into engineering was something I couldn’t do just because I was female.”

Her mother was also a strong role model running a very successful guest-house business.

At the time it was commonplace for young people to leave Northern Ireland for work and education.

“It was called the ‘brain drain’ and was pretty normal to seek opportunities elsewhere as there was nothing there at the time.”

Dr Johnston applied for architectural engineering which was a course that was only offered at a handful of universities including Leeds.

“I fell in love with Leeds, it was the whole of the area that appealed, and I felt that the place I would be studying in was just as important as the course. I loved everything about the city and the region and I have stayed ever since.”

She enjoyed her course but when she graduated in the early 1990s the country was gripped by recession and roles in construction were few and far between.

“I applied for hundreds of jobs but the only ones available were in the Middle East like Abu Dhabi or Dubai. The only work I could secure in the region was contracting.”

She found a role at a fibre optic manufacturing company based in Armley, Leeds, and then worked for the Chamber of Commerce in Leeds as a business manager responsible for the development of training courses, seminars and events among other duties.

In 2013 she began working as a Business Development Officer for the Health and Wellbeing Service, Leeds City Council.

Work included planning, communications, analysing data, promotion and publicity.

“I worked with the team to develop and run a training programme to help improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people.”

This is where her interest in public health came to the fore and she studied for an MA, then a doctorate which she completed at Leeds Beckett University.

Technology and public health seem like unlikely bedfellows but given the current pandemic it has become more important than ever to be aware of health.

Dr Johnston said: “Public health has given me a real sense of understanding during this coronavirus crisis of the importance of caring for the workforce.”

The Covid crisis has been unprecedented and has impacted us in unforeseen ways. In Bradford we have been in a lockdown pretty much since last March.

We have been working from home, only going shopping for essential items like food and medicines and even the playgrounds have been out of bounds. Stress is at an all-time high especially with the virus mutating into an even more contagious strain.

Managing a team with the awareness of the importance of public health, especially in these coronavirus epidemic times, is therefore an invaluable skill to have.

Her wide-ranging CV meant she soon attracted the attention of CityFibre, the country’s largest alternative network provider.

“It wasn’t a role I had heard of before, but it is working out really well.”

Obviously, the pandemic has shown how critical tech is in our lives with office workers, legal professionals, teachers and others switching to remote working.

“It isn’t just about the speed of the network but for businesses it is about reliability.”

She also wants to encourage more young people- especially girls- to consider a career in tech.

“A good many of our CityFibre managers are women and the company itself is so good to work for.”

The mum of two who is married to an IT manager has been juggling her work and her home-schooling duties alongside the rest of the population.

“Understanding tech isn’t just about a career in computers. It makes you so valuable and flexible and gives you the ability to grow in whatever industry you are in.”

If you are interested in registering for full fibre broadband in Bradford, please visit www.cityfibre.com/register.