Tech jobs in Leeds: xDesign announces council partnership as move to new city centre offices completed

The Edinburgh-founded company initially took eight desks in temporary offices in the Platform working space above Leeds railway station last year but have now moved into a permanent base on Park Row with space for 100 employees.

Matt Ward, xDesign’s Head of Leeds, said the move to be part of Leeds’ burgeoning tech sector has helped the company have a broader base across the UK.

He said: "When we first arrived the ambition was to create 100 jobs and build a powerful centre for the business in the city. At that point it was an aspiration and now a year down the line we are there.

"We have uncovered more and more talent and the talent pool is much deeper than we had initially been aware of.”

The launch was attended yesterday by Leeds Council leader James Lewis.

Coun Lewis launched a new partnership with xDesign which will see the two organisations collaborate on a digital campaign that will provide young people in Leeds with more opportunities to explore tech careers.

It follows recent research commissioned by xDesign that found although 59 per cent of young people in Leeds are considering a career in tech, two-thirds of them think that tech companies could be doing much more to engage and nurture their digital aspirations.

Of those questioned, 46 per cent said they are considering leaving Leeds after they complete their education.

Coun Lewis said the figures demonstrate the council needs to take a proactive approach to promoting the opportunities available in the city.

“It shows the work we need to do as a city in putting a marker down around the opportunities there are here in Leeds. Tech is a high-growth sector in terms of the economy and jobs.

"Leeds is a great place to live.”

Mr Ward added: “One of our key messages to people is that for the price of a one-bedroom flat in London you can get a four-bedroom house in Leeds with a garden.

"It is a great city to live in.”

Mr Ward said the aim of the new partnership with the council was to improve engagement with local young people considering careers in the tech sector.

"In order to take action on the data - rather than just offer commentary on a perennial challenge the tech industry faces - we’re going to be running a programme of activities in the new year that will better engage local youngsters in thinking about tech careers.

"These activities will also provide private sector companies in Leeds with a platform to better connect with young people and help them highlight the opportunities their company can offer.”

“As a company, we already have a number of initiatives in place to support young people into the sector - for example, we recently launched our own bespoke graduate programme, and offer young people paid internships.

"We want to use our expertise in Leeds, contributing to the city and wider region, building on our research findings in order to unleash the potential of Leeds’ digital future.”

Martyn Long, Head of Employment and Skills at Leeds City Council, said the partnership will build on the recently-launched Future Talent Plan where the local authority is working with businesses to address issues such as the digital skills gap.

“Our partnership with xDesign holds some really exciting potential for the Leeds tech community,” he said.

"By coupling our local knowledge with xDesign’s expertise and experience in the tech sector, we can really offer young people a package of support that will fuel their imagination.

"Our aim is to get more young people thinking about a future career in technology, whilst helping to connect them to companies like xDesign that are actively investing in the future of Leeds’ tech community.”