Strategy to place West Midlands as UK’s hub for public sector digital services revealed

A new blueprint to transform and unify public sector digital teams in the West Midlands has launched today.

The launch coincides with the announcement of a new Government Digital Service (GDS) pop-up academy to the region and the expansion of HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) to create a new digital hub, which will see 100 civil servant tech roles positioned in Birmingham.

The series of announcements formed part of Public Sector Digital Midlands, which aims to position the region as the UK’s leading hub for public sector digital skills and services.

The blueprint will explore how digital services and collaboration can be improved across central and local government, national organisations and education providers and local suppliers.

The new pop-up GDS Academy, operated by the Government Digital Service, will compliment this vision and build on the West Midland’s status as both a public sector and digital hub.

The GDS Academy is also planning to run a series of courses in Birmingham, which will also support with training and upskilling civil servants in digital, data and technology roles.

Kevin Cunnington, GDS director general, said: “Since 2014, the GDS Academy has provided thousands of public service professionals, in both local and digital government, with digital skills needed to transform public services.

“The Academy runs courses such as the digital and agile foundation course, which outlines the fundamentals of digital and agile working in government. It teaches how to apply these principles in a multi-disciplinary role, and has seen over 1,000 graduates.

“I am looking forward to listening to our partners to find out what more we can do to continue supporting them, and wider government, with the digital transformation of public services.”

Government’s commitment to growing the region’s public sector cluster is demonstrated further by the creation of a new West Midlands HMCTS Digital Hub. The unit, comprising up to 100 tech and digital roles, will add to the existing expansion of HMCTS in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent where the country’s first Courts & Tribunals Service Centres (CTSC) will be located.

The CTSC projects will support the HMCTS Change Programme to modernise the justice system.

Jane Fallon, head of digital of the Office of the Public Guardian, who spearheaded Public Sector Digital Midlands, said: “This event has showcased the innovative digital teams in the Midlands that are transforming public sector services. From central and local government, to the NHS, the police and education – the Midlands is a hive of digital activity and successful public sector hub that is yet to realise its full potential.

“Through this blueprint, we want to position the Midlands as the UK’s number one hub for public sector digital services. And importantly, we want to highlight the shared vision from teams across the Midlands and beyond, to collaborate more closely, in order to deliver the very best services using the very best technical expertise. The Midlands is well-positioned to bring digital teams together and break down barriers between central and local government. I look forward to seeing how this action-plan progresses.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “This event has highlighted the fantastic work already being done by digital teams here in the West Midlands. Yet, we’re only at the beginning of an even greater period of digital transformation that will take place in our region. The West Midlands will not only be the UK’s first 5G testbed; its UrbanChallenge will catalyse public-private partnership in a bid to ensure our public services are smarter and more innovative than ever before. Further expansion from public sector digital teams here confirm the region as the heart of public sector digital services and skills.”

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