UK AI talent pool increasingly shifting to North West

A new study from Accenture has found that the UK’s technology talent pool enjoyed double-digit growth in the last six months. The North West, and Liverpool in particular, is home to a growing AI talent pool.

Andrew Finlayson, North West lead for Accenture, said, “Liverpool’s technology sector has been on the ascendancy for some time, and these findings are a positive sign that we are seeing the impact of learning and upskilling in critical skills. With every business needing technology skills to take their organisation into a future realigned by AI, it’s vital to close the regional digital skills gap in the UK.”

According to the findings of Accenture’s latest UK Tech Talent Tracker, Liverpool is “well placed to be a leading light in AI excellence”. The city, and wider region, is moving to cater to a “hunger for AI”, and nurturing talent so the UK can compete on a global scale in the burgeoning industry.

Accenture found that demand for AI jobs has risen by some 49% in the last six months. Analysing LinkedIn’s Professional Network data, the study found that the AI talent pool alone had subsequently risen by 109%, ahead of nearest rival Cardiff on 98% – suggesting historically deprived areas are hoping to cash in on the trending technology.

Beyond the world of AI, the UK’s tech talent pool is also expanding rapidly. Overall, the pool expanded by 11% in the last six months, with the LinkedIn data also showing more people promoting skills in areas including cloud engineering and quantum computing. Outside London, which continues to be the leading region, the study showed the biggest increases in tech jobs outside London were seen in Cardiff at 29%, Glasgow at 27%, and Liverpool on 26%.

Other forms of technology most in demand also included roles in extended reality, which grew by 34% in the same period. However, it remained largely flat for vacancies in cyber security at 3% growth, and data analytics on 2%.

Emma Kendrew, Accenture’s technology lead in the UK & Ireland, added, “While British businesses remain cautious in a challenging macro-economic environment and are focused on their resilience, there are signs we are seeing a resurgence in demand for talent to make their AI ambitions a reality. An AI revolution can’t happen without people to build on a company’s digital foundations. It will take more than a nation of software engineers to get right – it means developing design, engineering, linguistics, and data science talent across the country, as well as improving the digital literacy for all British workers.”