Techedia to create ‘new generation’ of IT specialists

Days after moving into his new £1m Liverpool city region HQ, Techedia founder Matthew Townson says he wants to train a ‘new generation of IT specialists’.

Techedia has revealed its plans to train a new generation of IT specialists in Southport.

Just days ago the firm opened its new offices at The Cloisters Building on Corporation Street in Southport town centre. Currently employing 40 staff, Techedia is on track to grow that to 60 employees by next year.

Owner Matthew Townson is eager to create as many opportunities as he can for talented and determined young people in the town.

A born and bred Sandgrounder, he went to Larkfield Primary School, Birkdale High School and KGV Sixth Form College before founding his own business in 2013. He now wants to provide opportunities for others.

Over the years Techedia has invested strongly in talented young people in the area. The firm wants to help to nurture, encourage and train the IT stars of tomorrow, giving them opportunities in their home town.

‘Youth flight’ has long been a problem in Southport, traditionally a busy seaside resort which still sees over 6,000 jobs in the town directly dependent on tourism.

Young people wanting higher skilled, higher paid jobs have traditionally moved away from the town.

But with the arrival of Techedia, Mr Townson hopes to play his part in the diversification of the local economy through the growth of the creative, tech and digital sectors.

He said: “We enjoy very strong connections and relationships with local education providers including Meols Cop High School, Southport College and KGV Sixth Form College. And we want to build on that.

“We are hoping soon to work alongside further schools, including Greenbank High. Soon, we are going to be starting teaching, and providing experience, for Year 10 students with a real interest and passion for IT, training them after their school hours.

“If they start learning while they are at high school, it will give them a five year head start on other people in the same sector.

“At 3.30pm every second Wednesday the school bus from Meols Cop High School will arrive here with 10 interested pupils who will be able to spend an hour and a half learning with us.”

Techedia has been eager to forge links with a number of local companies too. Mr Townson added: “The more that local firms can work with each other, the better.

“It also means that we have various benefits to offer Techedia staff, from cheaper hotel stays, to cheaper travel, and other discounts.

“Our staff enjoy excellent rates of pay too. The majority of them have worked previously in cities such as Manchester and Liverpool, we pay salaries which are above other IT firms locally.

“We support the community in other ways. We are the main sponsor for Southport Football Club, not just the men’s first team, but also the community teams as well.”

Source: Liverpool Business News