GUEST COLUMN:
Cllr Glyn Preston
Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys
Powys County Council
Mid Wales does not need to be persuaded that digital skills are important. Businesses, councils, education providers and young people can already see how quickly the economy is changing. The more practical question is how a large rural region turns that awareness into something people can actually use: clearer routes into training, stronger links between partners, and support that reaches businesses in towns, villages and communities across Powys and Ceredigion.
This is why the work taking place through Growing Mid Wales is so important. It is not simply about one project, one organisation or one part of the region. It is about drawing partners together around a shared ambition, so that digital investment, skills development and business support are better connected.
There have already been huge strides forward in digital infrastructure across the region. At the same time, we know there is still progress to be made if Mid Wales is to compete with other parts of Wales and the wider UK. Our geography brings challenges, but it also gives us a clear reason to think differently about how we plan, deliver and support digital change.
The economic case is strong. Mid Wales cannot afford to lose thousands of young people each year because they feel the right opportunities are not available locally. Wages are generally lower than in some other regions, and our gross value added figures show why we need to create stronger pathways into higher-value work. Digital skills are central to that, not because every young person will work in the technology sector, but because digital capability now runs through every sector of the economy.
There are already powerful examples of what is possible. When I visited SudoCyber in Brecon with the Leader of Powys Council, it was striking to see such innovative work taking place in the heart of the town centre. Many people could walk past the building without knowing that a digital business of that kind is operating there. That tells us something important; Mid Wales already has success stories in its towns and communities, and part of our job is to make those stories more visible.
The same applies across Powys and Ceredigion. Businesses in different sectors are already using digital tools to work in new ways, improve services and reach new markets. The opportunity now is to connect those examples with the wider support system, so that more employers can see where digital skills fit into their own plans.
Growing Mid Wales has also shown that the region can be innovative in how it identifies and tackles gaps. One example is the use of bin lorries to help map gaps in connectivity using advanced mobile data-capturing devices installed in the vehicles. That kind of practical thinking shows that we are not simply waiting for solutions to arrive from elsewhere. We are using the assets, knowledge and networks we already have to understand the region better and respond to its needs.
The Mid Wales Digital Skills Strategy is part of that same approach. Employers increasingly understand that digital and AI skills are needed across sectors, both now and in the future. What is less clear for many is how they get from awareness to action. They may know that digital capability is important, but not know where to find the right advice, training or support.
That is the gap this work is designed to address. By drawing partners together, we can create a more coherent system, with a common place for information and clearer routes for employers. This is important for large organisations, but it is particularly important for small businesses, sole traders and employers who may not have the time or capacity to navigate a fragmented landscape.
The work also has to reach people where they are. Events such as the Royal Welsh Show provide a valuable opportunity to engage with businesses, workers and communities from many different sectors. There really is something for everybody there, and it gives the Growing Mid Wales team a chance to speak to people who may be less confident in their digital skills, as well as those who are already further along.
For Mid Wales, the opportunity is to build a digital skills system that reflects the region itself: collaborative, practical, rooted in place and ambitious for its communities.
Glyn talks about this and more on the Unlocking Mid Wales podcast. Listen here:
