GUEST COLUMN:
Mark Price
Business Development Director
Pugh Computers Ltd
Digital skills can sound like a subject for the technology sector, but in Mid Wales that would be far too narrow a way to look at it. The businesses asking the most important questions about digital capability are not only IT companies. They are farms, construction firms, retailers, schools, charities, manufacturers, public sector organisations and professional services firms trying to understand how technology can help them work better, serve customers better and give people better opportunities to build careers in the region.
That is one of the reasons the emerging Mid Wales digital skills work is so important. It recognises something that we see every day from our base in Ceredigion: digital is now part of almost every role, in almost every sector, and the region needs a joined-up response if businesses and communities are to make the most of that.
Pugh Computers has been based in Llanon, between Aberystwyth and Aberaeron, for 45 years. We are a team of 20 and we work with organisations on modern workplace technology, from software licensing and hardware through to cyber security, AI training and adoption. Increasingly, customers do not want one isolated product or service. They want a more complete package that helps them understand the tools, use them securely and embed them properly into the way they work.
That is particularly true of AI. The Mid Wales Digital Skills Analysis found that 73% of employers in the region see AI awareness as important. That figure does not surprise me, because we are seeing interest across all kinds of organisations. What is equally clear, however, is that many businesses are still at a very early stage. They know AI is relevant, but they are experimenting, asking questions and trying to work out where it fits into their day-to-day operations.
That is a healthy place to start, provided the support is there. AI should not be treated as something mysterious or remote from ordinary business activity. For many organisations, the first step is much more practical: understanding which tools are available, how to use them securely, how to protect data and how to identify areas where automation or AI agents could improve productivity, efficiency or creativity.
A lot of our work is about making that less daunting. We run bilingual training and adoption sessions with customers across business, education, charities and other sectors. One of the most popular formats is what we call a prompt-a-thon, where we sit down with an organisation, run a live hands-on workshop and teach a simple prompting framework. Once people understand how to interact with the technology, and they see the quality of the outputs improve, their confidence grows very quickly.
That confidence is a major part of the skills agenda. Digital skills are not only about producing specialists, although the region certainly needs more people with advanced skills in areas such as data, cyber security, cloud computing and software development. They are also about giving non-technical staff the ability to use digital tools securely and effectively in the jobs they already do.
The opportunity for Mid Wales is that we can build both. Improvements in infrastructure and connectivity are giving businesses a stronger base to work from, and the Mid Wales Growth Deal Digital Programme is focused on addressing gaps in broadband, mobile coverage, fibre provision to business parks and the use of technologies such as LoRaWAN. Those investments create a platform, but infrastructure on its own is not enough. Businesses also need the skills and confidence to exploit it.
That is where collaboration becomes vital. We work closely with Growing Mid Wales and Careers Wales, and we spend a lot of time engaging with schools, colleges and Aberystwyth University. Over the past year or so we have visited pretty much all the secondary schools in Ceredigion, running careers workshops, talking about work placements and summer placements, and introducing pupils to current technologies.
With younger pupils, that might mean using tools such as Adobe Express and Adobe Firefly in a creative way. With older pupils, it might mean CV creation workshops, using Adobe templates, Microsoft Copilot and tools such as ChatGPT to prepare for interviews and build confidence. The point is not to make every young person a technologist. It is to show them that digital skills are relevant to their future, whatever sector they choose.
For a rural region, that has real significance. We all know the concern about young people leaving for bigger cities because they believe the right careers are not available locally. As a business based in Mid Wales, we feel a responsibility to challenge that perception. We try to take on at least one junior or trainee every year, and since the pandemic we have had real success in recruiting locally. The last four have all come from Ceredigion, and three live in Llanon itself.
That local talent needs support once it enters the workplace. Technology moves quickly, and AI is a good example of how fast the skills requirements can change. Schools and colleges give young people an important foundation, but employers also need to play their part by providing industry-ready training and development. In our case, that includes Microsoft certifications and bespoke development plans, which has grown into what we sometimes describe as an informal Pugh Academy.
We were pleased to have that recognised through the Creating Local Futures award at the Caru Ceredigion awards last year, but the more important question is what comes next. We are now looking at whether that academy approach could be formalised, what funding or support might be available, and whether we could create a longer-term apprenticeship-style route.
That kind of employer involvement will be essential if Mid Wales is to close the gap between digital demand and digital skills provision. The region already has strong foundations, but businesses still need clearer routes into training, more visibility of what support exists and more flexible provision that reflects the realities of rural employers.
For me, the opportunity is very practical. Mid Wales does not need to wait for digital change to happen elsewhere and then adapt to it later. We have businesses, education providers, regional partners and young people already engaging with this agenda. The task now is to connect that work more effectively, so that digital infrastructure, skills and opportunity develop together across the region.
Mark talks about this and more on the Unlocking Mid Wales podcast. Listen here:
