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.

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

The firm’s 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. 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 is making a significant investment in Wales to support its growth agenda, including:

• 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.

PwC’s model for growth in Cardiff is similar to the approach it took in Belfast, where it has grown its headcount by over 3,000 people in the past eight years. An economic analysis found that for each job created in Belfast by PwC, 0.8 additional jobs are supported in the wider economy – and PwC’s economic impact equates to roughly £207,000 per employee.

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. It targets diversity as a key business aim, knowing that teams exhibiting a diversity of backgrounds and ways of thinking are more innovative and create more value, better outcomes for clients, and deliver better business returns.

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. 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.”

Carl Sizer, Head of Regions for PwC UK, said:

“Creating and supporting sustainable growth across the UK is key to our regional strategy and feeds into our purpose as a firm. Wales is a particularly attractive place for us to invest because of the strong, consistent and united narrative expressed by different stakeholders across the public and private sector: Welsh Government, Cardiff Capital Region, Cardiff Council and education providers.

“As we grow in Cardiff, we will develop the skills we require – by extension playing our role in closing the regional skills gap and improving the competitiveness of Wales’ labour market. Our growth agenda, combined with a focus on creating equal opportunities, will make lasting change in creating and enabling access to economic opportunities in South Wales.”

Vaughan Gething, Economy Minister for the Welsh Government, said:

“I’m delighted to announce this new partnership between the Welsh Government and PwC which prioritises fair work and improved job opportunities for those facing disadvantage.

“Our Economic Mission is focussed on helping more people plan ambitious futures in Wales and taking action to tackle economic activity. This 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 for a rapidly changing world.”

Huw Thomas, Leader of Cardiff Council, said: 

“The creation of 1,000 new highly-skilled jobs and a commitment to access talent from our underrepresented communities is great news for our city. Cardiff Council and our Partners were delighted to support PwC from the early stages of its Cardiff expansion to deliver a compelling proposition focused heavily on raising awareness of the breadth and depth of talent available to PwC in all our communities and developing pathways and training initiatives to access it.

“This investment is a vote of confidence in Cardiff and its workforce, and we now look forward to supporting PwC’s local management team in delivering their exciting vision for the Cardiff Office.”