Employers and those in charge of individuals’ private information at organisations across East Lancashire flocked to Themis at Burnley College for a masterclass on new data protection regulations which will come into force in May.

Experts from the HM Network in the fields of data connectivity and data marketing; data privacy; cyber security; data protection audit services and data disposal/IT and mobile hardware recycling gave insights into new requirements under the European General Data Protection Regulations which will be implemented on 25 May.

The popular and informative event GDPRexpress was arranged by Themis at Burnley College, whose Director, Simon Jordan said:

“Themis at Burnley College is committed to providing employers – large and small – across the region with the information and support they need to prosper.

“The introduction of GDPR in the coming weeks will impact on all businesses and organisations that store individuals’ private information. Ouur masterclass with HM Network booked up very quickly – more than 145 people attended from a wide variety of businesses and organisations and told us they found the event invaluable.”

Chris Hunter, from The HM Network, added:

"We were really happy to see such a great turnout at the recent GDPRexpress event at Themis at Burnley College and realise that so many people and taking the introduction of these new regulations seriously, not simply burying their heads in the sand.

“Although GDPR will be demanding for businesses, it is actually a really good thing and as consumers ourselves we will no doubt all welcome the increased rights we will have. We wanted to demonstrate that GDPR should not be seen as a barrier to business, it is an opportunity to gain confidence from customers, suppliers and staff. Also it is not a box-ticking exercise, it's aligning business processes with the new laws so they become the norm. It is about changing existing cultures, promoting privacy, accountability and transparency. When a business can identify its risks, it can address how to minimise them.

“Working with Themis at Burnley College, together we can help Lancashire businesses not only accomplish this, but see their businesses thrive from it."

If you were unable to attend the GDPRexpress masterclass at Themis at Burnley College, there are further opportunities for bespoke training, on either a group or individual basis. Contact our professional Themis team on call 01282 733005 or email employer@themis.ac.uk for more information