Last week we had the pleasure of officially marking the opening of our office in Newport, Wales. We were fortunate to have the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, come along on the day with our customers, partners and press to discuss why Dell has invested in the region and our work with the Welsh Government to make the most of local talent and infrastructure.
Sixty percent of businesses in Wales are small and medium-sized enterprises. This entrepreneurial spirit perfectly matches our approach at Dell and the country’s government is investing heavily in superfast broadband and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) skills, all of which our business benefits from. The flow of relevant skills from the major universities into these small, innovative companies is evident in our customer and staff. As Jones said on the day, Wales has more than 28,000 people working in ICT – more than were working in mining before the strikes in the 1980s. That’s a great source of talent, partnership opportunities and new business for Dell!
Our team in Newport, situated a stone’s throw from Cardiff, Wales’ capital city, are local graduates who share an interest and enthusiasm of working in technology and for a company with the future career opportunities that Dell provides. They are also active members of the local community, working with the Newport regeneration programme to provide vital IT training to those who have worked in the more traditional manufacturing industries that Wales is synonymous with.
As we look at the ever-changing nature of our business and the customers we support, the office and team in Wales is testament to how a company like Dell can make a difference and benefit from working regionally. Not only are we closer physically to our customers in Wales and the West of the UK, we have also invested in a young and diverse team that understand and can grow with emerging super-brands of the future.