Transforming the West Midlands Digital Landscape: The Digital Skills Consortium
By Molly Matthews
3 minutes 11 seconds
Press Release

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Quick Read: During Birmingham Tech Week 2024’s Digital Skills Symposium, the West Midlands solidified its ambition to become the UK’s premier digital hub with the announcement of the West Midlands Digital Skills Consortium (WMDSC). Comprised of several businesses from various sectors, this consortium seeks to revolutionise the region’s digital ecosystem, creating a unique environment for digital skills development and innovation. Founding members include TechWM, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), IBM, SF Technology, In4 Group, and AND Digital, working together under the leadership of Victoria Pargetter-Garner, Director of Digital Skills & Commercial Impact at TechWM.
The Digital Skills Consortium is a bold initiative addressing the urgent need for a skilled tech workforce in the West Midlands. With digital technology now a cornerstone of virtually every industry, the Consortium aims to bridge the region’s growing digital skills gap, positioning local businesses—particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs)—to thrive in a rapidly evolving economy. This effort will also benefit larger organisations, as the region looks to become a national leader in digital talent development and innovation.
Lord Kulveer Ranger, Chair of Digital Skills on the West Midlands Tech & Digital Advisory Board, will collaborate with the Consortium to ensure its goals align with the broader tech strategy for the region. A working group of key members will meet regularly to discuss progress and make recommendations that will be fed back to the WMCA, academic institutions, and training providers.
A major objective of the Consortium is to develop a robust pipeline of digital talent. By collaborating with colleges, universities, and specialised training providers, the WMDSC will design programmes aimed at training individuals in high-demand digital skills, such as coding, data analytics, cybersecurity, and AI. Notably, the Consortium is working with IBM to offer a range of free digital programmes such as IBM SkillsBuild and other training opportunities, including a newly developed ‘AI for All’ workshop. This initiative will help ensure the West Midlands is recognised as a hub for digital talent, supporting SMEs and larger businesses alike in meeting their tech workforce needs.
Photo Credit: Edwin Ladd Media
The Consortium also aims to provide SMEs with strategic guidance on how to attract, retain, and develop tech talent. By offering practical pathways and strategies, local businesses will have the support they need to remain competitive in the global digital economy.
Beyond workforce development, the Digital Skills Consortium will encourage collaboration across sectors. By facilitating the sharing of expertise and resources between businesses, educational institutions, and government entities, the Consortium will create an open environment of knowledge exchange. This collaborative spirit will enable companies to harness digital technologies more effectively, ensuring they remain competitive both locally and globally.
Key partners engaged with this initiative include Birmingham Digital Futures, WMGC, TechUK, and WM5G, among others. Additionally, the Consortium will draw on relationships with local colleges and universities, such as the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology, to ensure the educational sector plays a vital role in shaping the region’s digital landscape.
Inclusivity is at the heart of the Digital Skills Consortium’s mission. The Consortium is committed to making digital education accessible to all, with a particular focus on engaging underrepresented communities in the West Midlands. Ensuring individuals from all backgrounds have the opportunity to participate in and benefit from the region’s burgeoning digital economy is central to the Consortium's vision.
Speaking at the launch, Richard Parker, the Mayor of the West Midlands, expressed the importance of this new initiative:
“Our region’s growing digital sector is key to creating new job opportunities, especially for young people. WMCA is investing in training for vital skills like cyber, AI, coding, and green tech to help bridge the digital skills gap and connect people to the jobs of the future.
“Supporting young people into these careers is essential to tackling youth unemployment, and I’m committed to working with the tech sector to meet their needs. I also encourage businesses to step up by offering work experience, training, and apprenticeships to help young people get started.”
Victoria Pargetter-Garner, Director of Digital Skills & Commercial Impact at TechWM, who will be leading the Consortium, also commented:
“The launch of the Digital Skills Consortium is a pivotal moment for the West Midlands. This initiative not only positions our region at the cutting edge of technological advancement but also reinforces our commitment to creating a future-ready workforce. By bringing together key players from business, education, and government, we’re laying the foundation for sustained growth and innovation.
What’s truly exciting is the inclusivity at the core of this initiative. We are making sure that digital skills development is accessible to all, giving people from every community the chance to engage with the opportunities that a digital economy offers. Whether it's coding, cybersecurity, data analytics, or AI, this Consortium is setting the stage for a new wave of talent that will power the next chapter of our region's economic story.”
As the digital economy continues to expand, the Digital Skills Consortium will play a pivotal role in positioning the West Midlands as a leader in innovation, skills development, and business success.
What's new

The State of the West Midlands Digital Skills Ecosystem

Digital skill shortages could have cost the UK £4.4 billion last year alone, with projections escalating to a staggering £27.6 billion by 2030. The West Midlands, in particular, is experiencing increasing demand for intermediate and advanced digital skills - as stated by a recent research from the University of Birmingham’s City-Regional Economic Development Institute (City-REDI). 
While these figures are alarming, they are not surprising. Addressing digital skills shortages in our region represents a significant economic opportunity. With the right interventions, we have the potential to unlock unprecedented growth. 
Nearly five months into my role as Director of Digital Skills and Commercial Impact at TechWM, I’ve had countless conversations with organisations across various sectors. My goal? To understand their immediate and long-term digital skills needs—and, more importantly, why there remains such a stark mismatch between digital skills supply and demand in the West Midlands.
Photo: Victoria Pargetter-Garner, Director - Digital Skills & Commercial Impact
Shifting Perspectives on the Digital Skills Gap
Initially, I assumed that this challenge was primarily supply-side: a lack of skilled individuals entering the workforce. However, after deeper exploration, I’ve uncovered significant demand-side barriers that are preventing businesses from fully leveraging digital talent.
Let’s rewind to 2020, when the pandemic forced businesses to adopt digital tools overnight. At that time, the focus was on up-skilling the workforce to ensure employees could use essential platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. There was also a surge in demand for advanced technical skills in areas such as cybersecurity, data analytics, and AI.
Since then, numerous policy interventions have aimed to boost digital skills. However, these initiatives have often been fragmented, poorly promoted, and disconnected from the businesses that could benefit the most.
The Business Reality: Short-Term Pressures Stalling Long-Term Growth
Today, while the supply of digital talent is improving, external factors such as economic uncertainty and budget constraints are forcing businesses into survival mode. Many organisations, instead of planning for the next three to five years, are focused on making it through the next quarter.
This short-term approach limits investment in digital transformation. Businesses are firefighting rather than strategising—missing out on opportunities to implement AI, automation, and other digital efficiencies that could drive productivity and profitability. Ironically, the very investments that could help businesses cut costs and gain a competitive edge are being delayed due to perceived financial and time constraints.
Photo: Yiannis Maos MBE, Richard Bovey, Victoria Pargetter-Garner, Mayor Richard Parker, Vikki Bradney-Spencer, Mike Lattimer, Lauren Monks, David Gaughan
The Disconnect Between Employers and Digital Talent
We know that businesses are struggling to find the right digital talent. Yet, paradoxically, we also know that many skilled individuals—particularly those completing digital skills bootcamps—are struggling to secure relevant employment.
So, what’s going wrong?
1. Do employers simply not know about available training initiatives?
2. Are businesses hesitant to onboard talent that lacks real-world experience?
3. Is it a case of limited resources, where employers can’t afford to train new hires?
Similarly, we see a significant underutilisation of free or heavily subsidised upskilling programs. Despite funding being available, many businesses are not taking advantage of these opportunities. Why? Is it a lack of awareness? Are course costs still perceived as too high? Or is it simply that businesses can’t afford to release staff for training?
Help Us Shape the Future of Digital Skills in the West Midlands
These are just some of the working hypotheses based on the conversations I’ve had so far. But to drive meaningful change, we need more data. That’s why, as part of the West Midlands Digital Skills Consortium—a collaboration between TechWM, the West Midlands Combined Authority, IBM UK Ltd., AND Digital, In4 Group, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, and Skills West Midlands and Warwickshire—we are launching an employer survey.
This survey aims to provide a comprehensive view of the current digital skills landscape, helping us design initiatives that truly meet business needs. By combining this data with insights from previous surveys, such as the Local Skills Improvement Plan, we hope to develop a regional blueprint for digital skills growth—one that drives economic prosperity.
Get Involved
If you’re a business leader in the West Midlands, we need your input. Please take five minutes to complete our
Employer Survey
. Your insights will directly inform new initiatives and interventions to bridge the digital skills gap.
Additionally, we will be hosting a series of workshops to explore these challenges in greater depth. If you’d like to contribute to shaping the future of digital skills in our region, drop me an email on:
vickie@techwm.com
and I’d love to have a chat.  
Together, we can build a stronger, more digitally empowered West Midlands—one that is ready to tackle the challenges of today and seize the opportunities of tomorrow. Let’s make tech succeed, in the most human of places! 
By Victoria Pargetter-Garner
24 Feb
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