PwC has thrown open the doors of its Cardiff office to find the tech talent of tomorrow.

The professional services firm is building a cyber hub in the Welsh capital and has roles to fill as part of its investment in the West and Wales region. Students from Cardiff Sixth Form College and graduates from the University of Cardiff, South Wales University and Cardiff Met attended an open day to hear more about the PwC’s opportunities.

New offices, new technology and new ways of working in recent years have led to more than half of PwC’s workforce now being based outside of London. PwC, which recruited 82 graduates and school leavers into the West and Wales earlier this autumn, has some of its key cyber security experts based in South Wales, with a further 25 people being recruited to this team over the next two years.

Felicity Rees, PwC’s office senior partner in Cardiff, commented: 

“These open days are a fantastic opportunity to showcase what PwC is about – today and tomorrow. We have always been a forward-thinking firm, but in creating a centre of excellence for technology, data and cyber expertise in Cardiff, we are providing talented youngsters from South Wales and beyond the chance to start a career in areas PwC has not traditionally been known for.

“We are always looking for the best people to help us solve important problems for our clients, and judging by the level of interest we had on the day our message is a strong one.”

PwC was recently named the number-one private-sector organisation for graduates for the 16th straight year by The Times, while applications for its graduate programme increased by 73% in the last academic year.

And in October, PwC topped the Social Mobility Employer Index 2019, ahead of 124 other businesses and organisations. The Index, created by the Social Mobility Foundation, ranks Britain’s employers on the actions they’re taking to ensure they are accessing and progressing talent from all class backgrounds.

John-Paul Barker, PwC’s regional leader for West and Wales, commented: 

“For us, it’s about creating workforce fit for the future. For our prospective recruits, it’s about making sure when they think tech, they think PwC. We have raised the awareness of local students in the final year of their studies as being a tech employer of choice, and these sorts of open days allow us to show what we’re about.

“We were able to talk about our ethical hacking team, our cyber advisory practice, as well as focusing on our data analytics and tech risk expertise. Increasing that awareness is vital if we are to continue growing our business and provide bright local young people with opportunities.”

Nitin Rajyaguru, teacher at Cardiff and Vale College and Cardiff West School, commented: 

“All the students are from a deprived area, and none have had any family members go to university. They all stated how nice it was to see how studying could lead to working in such a wonderful environment. The students have also informed me that they have actively been looking at the career prospects and salaries in cyber security!

“This event certainly opened their eyes as they were able to meet professionals motivating them to do well. Having been teaching these students for the last few years, this event has motivated them more to achieve beyond anything I can do in a classroom!”