PwC to invest in digital jobs and skills in Cardiff

PwC has announced a programme of investment that will create over a thousand high-skilled jobs in Cardiff over the next five years, in a broad range of disciplines but with a particular focus on digital and technology.

According to PwC, the new partnership represents a new way of working to help tackle inequality, promote fair work and build ambition for young people with the right skills.

The firm’s programme of rapid recruitment has already begun and it has more than doubled its Cardiff headcount to 500 in the last 18 months.

The investment into Wales over the five year course of the programme will run to tens of millions, not including the lease and fit out of new premises in Cardiff.

The Welsh government will also invest £2m over the five year period, which will be ring-fenced for PwC to drive inclusion, upskilling and economic growth in the wider regional ecosystem.

PwC said the investment will include:

• Recruitment and training of new staff, and building brand awareness in order to attract a diverse pool of talent from across South Wales
• Community engagement programmes focused on improving skills, opportunities and access to careers for people from lower socioeconomic and more diverse backgrounds; and raising aspiration in underrepresented communities
• The recent expansion and refit of its current workspace in Cardiff, One Kingsway, and the future lease and fit out of a new workspace in Cardiff to facilitate further headcount growth over the next five years.

As part of the partnership, PwC is also investing heavily in its inclusion programme in Wales, which includes its outreach programmes for schoolchildren and refugees, in addition to broader community engagements across South Wales.

Growth areas for PwC in Wales include digital transformation, cloud, cyber and managed services.

John-Paul Barker, regional market leader for PwC in Wales and the West, said: “One of PwC’s key recruitment challenges lies in reaching the talent we need to build the most diverse teams. A key consideration in investing in Cardiff is that the city, and the areas that surround it – Newport, Swansea and the South Wales Valleys – provide PwC with a platform to recruit people from a broad range of backgrounds.

“Often, in the underrepresented communities we want to recruit from, there is a lack of awareness of the opportunities that the professional services industry offers, and the accessibility of reskilling and training services. The Welsh government’s support will enable us to supercharge our social mobility and community engagement programmes, and maximise our opportunities to reach the best talent across South Wales.”