Leeds digital academy creates more than 300 jobs in its first year

The academy, run by IT services firm FDM Group, said it had accepted 337 people for training in its first 12 months, with 310 of those having subsequently being placed with companies and the public sector across the North.

Nearly half of these are working with Yorkshire-based clients, with the remainder of those who have trained in Leeds selected to support the wider UK client base and overseas banking organisations.

The academy was founded after the FDM Group moved its northern base from Manchester in spring of last year to Leeds city centre in recognition of what it called “the demand in Yorkshire and the supply of graduates from the region’s universities”.

In Leeds alone, it was reported at the time of the Digital Skills Fair that there are some 640 mid-level IT vacancies.

The city is home to 1,350 digital companies with 10,000 employees working in the sector.

FDM, which is headquartered in London, has academies in the US, Far East and Europe.

It provides bespoke training to graduates and ex-Forces personnel to transition them into becoming professional IT and business consultants supplying major national and international companies as well as the public sector.

The Company has already built a strong client base in West Yorkshire supplying consultants to BSkyB, Sky Sports, HSBC, Yorkshire Building Society and Asda amongst others.

Sheila Flavell, FDM’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Given the growing digital sector in Yorkshire, it is imperative that the region retains IT graduates from its universities whilst also equipping them with skills employers require.

“The demand from graduates for our bespoke training and our success in placing consultants with employers has led to a very successful first year and we look forward to growing further over the coming twelve months.

“FDM has had a fantastic first year in Leeds.

“To get so many consultants has been really great news.”

The FDM Group is headquartered in Brighton but has office in New York City, Frankfort, Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as Leeds.