North West England - Northern Power House?

It appears that the North West of England is becoming quite the little ‘Tech Hub’ to those in the know. Unsurprisingly, companies are starting to search beyond the bounds of London and the ‘Silicon Valley’ that is the M4 corridor, all in search of cheaper labour, premises and overall reductions in the costs of doing business, not to mention a skilled digitally enabled work force. Has the Tech boom in the South exhausted itself and is the NW of England ready for the bounty?

One thing I think helps highlight this growth in the Northern tech scene is the large number of Tech Events we now have available to us. Just a quick search through MEET-UP shows any number of special interest groups. As a proud member of both Liverpool & Manchester’s North West Tester Gathering, I can say my own career has developed more and my personal network has grown thanks in no small part to these events.

The North West plays host to a number of Hackathons, Code-clubs, special interest Dev groups, not to mention Agile and other such entities. Even stalwarts like the British Computer Society have northern chapters holding events like ‘Northern Lights’ recently, which is something we hope will grow in future. The Ministry of Testings very own Test Bash, as I’m sure most readers will have been aware, came to Manchester during October 2016, an event which had been sold out for months. All these events, happenings and groups are a testament to the dedication of the people of the North West and their ability to embrace the changing face of tech and work trends as we embrace the digital economy.

So with large Corporations, Multi-nationals, Start-Ups, & other new businesses setting up or expanding in the North West, I don’t think the time has been any better for staff opportunities and growth for people (& Companies) who are willing to embrace the changes ahead.

It’s far from ‘Grim Up North’ maybe it’s time to embrace the change and the challenges ahead to make that move. Let’s set any politics aside and get our Westminster ‘overlords’ to put their money where their mouth is, dig deep into those London Investment pockets and give us the infrastructure, transport and investment to make the North West a great place to Live, Work & Play. We’re doing our bit, now do yours!

Check out the links for events past, present and future and why not sign-up to a group (or two). Enhance your skills, network and socialise because this is where it's all going on!

The North West of England - It's happening!