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Demand for British digital skills surges after Brexit

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Now that the dust has settled, Brexit is a hard reality for many businesses across the UK. Although border controls, supply chain issues and tariffs have had a negative impact on many businesses it has also provided an opportunity for other firms, in particular, digital ones. Brexit has helped accelerate some UK companies to expand into new markets overseas.

Post Brexit business demand UK

The Economic impact of Brexit has made UK firms more cost effective. Statistics show that as a result of Brexit, in April 2021, nearly 60% of businesses in the UK have made changes to use more UK suppliers due to an end of the EU transition period.

This is relatively easy for digital-first businesses. We live in a world where technology plays an increasingly significant role in the economy and the day-to-day activities of society which is important for many businesses. Digital businesses are ideal for remote working which makes it easy to service clients across the globe.

The UK is a leading place for the development of digital skills, and the government has plans to boost the UKs digital economy and skills further. The government has implemented a number of strategies to increase the digitalisation of businesses across the country. For instance, the Google garage initiative has delivered training in 80 towns across the UK to over 250,000 businesses.

One company, Our Digital Team, a south Manchester based digital agency, has noticed a rise in demand for their digital services in the past year which they see which may be due to a variety of reasons. One of them being Britain’s exit from the EU.

‘‘The quality of digital work and calibre of talent in the UK market is unmatched, and with the development of virtual communication networks such as zoom and teams, connecting with people across the globe has never been easier. Despite the different time zones, working with Our Digital Team in England all the way from our Bras and Honey headquarters in the US has proved to be quite useful. The benefits of the disjointed time zones mean that by the time we get to our desks in the morning, work has been completed back in the UK whilst we were sleeping.’’  Nicola Crook | Bras and Honey

After Brexit the organisation began targeting brands from overseas. Now, Our Digital Team has clients across Europe and North America. This has been made possible by the development of effective digital communication methods such as zoom, which allows digital calls between clients and an active visible member of the team. Although the time zones are different, the disjointed working hours are an advantage. By the time the US clients get to their desks in the morning, work has been completed in the UK overnight. The firm was founded by experienced digital marketer Craig Johnson, someone with extensive experience working on projects for global brands.

Why is there a surge in demand for British Digital companies post Brexit?

The quality of work

The British pride themselves on their excellent quality service, which is one of the reasons prompting the surge in demand for British digital services. Significantly, since 8 out of 10 people say that customer service can influence their choice of brand, which demonstrates the importance of providing good quality work every time. 

The calibre of talent in the market

In a constantly evolving digital landscape, those who do not effectively engage in digital business risk being left behind. Digital marketing is responsible for improving sites visibility and search engine ranking result, as well as increasing traffic to a business’s website and ultimately maximising the growth of organisations return on investment (ROI).The level of ability of the digital experts in the UK’s digital industry is unrivalled, meaning that British digital marketers can obtain the best results.

COVID-19 has drastically altered digital business models

Many businesses have had to update and transform their business models to adapt to the changes put into action as a result of the pandemic induced lockdowns, such as the transition to remote working. A study demonstrated that more than half of businesses increased their digital investment since the Covid-19 lockdowns began in 2020. As businesses have started to develop their digital practises- the need for digital companies to aid in their transformation has increased.

As the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has coincided with Britain’s formal exit from the EU, the economic outlook appears bleak. However, despite the unpredictability of the current economic climate, British businesses are doing their best to fuel the UK economy and get it back on its feet.

Benefit to digital companies in UK:

The post Brexit surge in demand for British digital companies has been driven by organisations who see the benefit of giving something back to the economy, such as:

  • Boosting local communities by employing local talent
  • Adding to GPD
  • Inspiring innovation across the UK
Andrew Mcaffrey