TechWM Announces Big Plans for 2024 Expansion
By East Village
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Quick Read: TechWM launches ambitious 2024 plans, unveiling three new working groups led by industry figures—Paul Faulkner, Lord Kulveer Ranger, and Janet Coyle. These groups will focus on Investment, Skills, and Support, aiming to drive change in the regional tech landscape.
TechWM, the West Midlands economic development agency and tech advocacy group, has officially kickstarted its plans for 2024. After a strong year in 2023 - marked by partnerships, new appointments and the biggest Birmingham Tech Week yet - the non-profit organisation has announced updated plans for direction, action, and the next level of cross-network collaboration.
As part of its ambitious plans, TechWM has opened the call for people to register interest in joining one of three new working groups focused on Investment, Skills, and Support. Each group is chaired by a leading figure from across industry: Paul Faulkner (Chair of the Investment Working Group), who was most recently Chief of Staff and Operations at RCL Partners; Lord Kulveer Ranger (Chair of the Skills Working Group) and board member of techUK.; and Janet Coyle CBE (Chair of the Support Working Group), who leads business growth activity for London & Partners.
The working groups will be responsible for making recommendations that help drive change in the region, subsequently forming key ideas and initiatives for the overall digital economy strategy. These ideas will be publicly launched in April at the 2024 West Midlands Tech Review, which will be hosted by TechWM.
While the open call doesn’t come with specific requirements, hopeful candidates must be able to commit to attending monthly meetings and willing to participate in a range of additional networking events throughout the year. A dedication to championing initiatives that make a difference in the regional tech landscape is crucial, while having existing networks that can support the implementation of recommendations proposed by the group is highly valuable.
Commenting on these new groups, Paul Faulkner, who is Chair of Investment on the West Midlands Tech & Digital Advisory Board, said:
“Connection and collaboration is at the heart of innovation and change, without it we would be in an endless echo chamber with no additional perspective to learn from. This is why, for the Tech & Digital Advisory Board, it is crucial that we expand and do so with intention. 
The choice to build out these three core working groups is one that we, at TechWM, feel will not only benefit each respective area (Investment, Skills, and Support) but will also bring in a range of expertise and perspectives to the Tech & Digital Advisory Board as a whole. 
The West Midlands tech ecosystem has long been on a steady upward climb and we feel that learning from what we have been doing well - and perhaps not so well - whilst making the most of the talent the region has to offer, will be strong fuel for growth and positive change.”
To further boost collaboration, education and support opportunities in the West Midlands and help businesses and providers navigate the ecosystem effectively and efficiently, TechWM has also announced Tech Connect. This brings together an online support platform, in-person connection hub at iCentrum, tech support programme, and a series of live events and workshops. All shaped to help the region’s tech founders scale up their businesses.
Yiannis Maos, CEO of TechWM, adds:
“At TechWM, our goals are driven by the mission to ensure that the region’s tech ecosystem is encouraged and empowered to flourish and grow, to both national and international height. We firmly believe that this goal cannot be achieved unless we work together, and that’s exactly what we hope our 2024 plans will encourage people to do!
The expansion of our offerings, both online and in person, will hopefully encourage tech and digital businesses and leaders to find the support they are looking for. Additional support from new members of our core working groups will, we feel, further bolster this empowerment and support; helping the region as a whole reach the common goal of becoming a global tech superpower.”

People interested in joining the working group can express their interest here.

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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