It is tempting for individuals looking for a career in innovative tech industries to assume that London is the best place to succeed. However, across the UK a number of tech hotpots are emerging that show there’s more to the industry than the capital. Bristol and Birmingham, in particular, are showing impressive growth in the tech and IT industries, so candidates looking for jobs should investigate whether these two cities can offer them suitable opportunities.
IT jobs in Bristol.
Bristol and the surrounding area are now established as one of the UK’s key growth areas for technology firms. Multinational businesses like Amazon and Hewlett Packard have offices in Bristol, alongside some of the country’s brightest startups, including Ultrahaptics and Simpleweb. In fact, the number of digital companies setting up in Bristol and Bath increased by 65 per cent between 2010 and 2013*.
One of the reasons why Bristol is developing as a tech hotspot is its strong support network. There is also a high proportion of young, talented individuals and plenty of entrepreneurial spirit in abundance. The University of Bristol has over 20,000 students, many of which will graduate with the skills required to thrive in tech or IT jobs.
Furthermore, as the largest city in the South West, Bristol is an attractive place to work for professionals. It has excellent infrastructure and public transport links, which makes it equally attractive for employers and employees. Some of the city's strongest technology areas include software development, educational technology and data management, but Bristol’s tech and IT sector employs individuals across a broad skillset. In fact, the Bristol and Bath area is the now the second largest digital employer in the country, with 61,653 people working in the technology sphere. If you think you have the skills required to thrive in a tech or IT position, then Bristol has a lot to offer both professionally and personally.
IT jobs in Birmingham.
There are also a wide variety of IT jobs in Birmingham that may appeal to you. The UK’s “Second City” certainly shouldn’t be considered second best particularly considering the opportunities available for individuals looking to further a career in tech and IT. Birmingham’s development as one of the UK’s premier tech hubs is based on a mixture of the old and the new. The region’s rich history of manufacturing continues through the presence of Jaguar Land Rover, JCB and Moog, who all have significant operations in the area. This makes the industry appealing for engineering professionals, but other technology sectors are thriving too.
More than 20,000 people are employed in digital employment in the city and surrounding area, many drawing on talent supplied by five local universities. Birmingham also has the support networks required for tech startups to prosper. As well as the city’s so-called Silicon Canal area, creative hubs like the Custard Factory and Birmingham Research Park offer businesses support and connections within the tech industry. Funding is also available with Finance Birmingham offering £50,000 of investment for pre-revenue startups and Entrepreneurial Spark providing assistance to accelerating firms.
There are a number of fantastic employment opportunities in Birmingham and the surrounding area, particularly for anyone with a technology or IT focus. Whether your dream career lies in engineering or a role as digital marketing manager there are plenty of successful businesses in the area looking for talented individuals.