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New digital initiative could generate £10 million boost for Tees Valley

Businesses taking part in a new digital training initiative could generate a £10 million boost to the Tees Valley economy.

The initiative, Get Your Head Into Digital, sees five weeks of free digital skills workshops being held for businesses in Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool, Darlington and Redcar and Cleveland.

It’s hoped more than 200 companies will adopt digital technologies as a result of the workshops, allowing them to work smarter, increase turnover, reach more customers and grow profits.

Experts at Tees Valley Unlimited today revealed that if the initiative achieves its aims then the Tees Valley economy could benefit by more than £10 million over three years through job creation, higher profits for businesses and wages for staff.

More than 100 businesses have registered to attend the workshops and more are registering every day - organisers say those who’ve yet to sign up should do so without delay as the workshops will end on April 2.

There are said to be around 4,300 businesses in the Tees Valley who have no effective digital presence and low or basic online skills – based on the Lloyds Bank UK Business Digital Index, although it’s believed this figure could be much higher.

Get Your Head Into Digital aims to change all that.

The programme is part of the Government’s national SME Digital Capability Challenge Programme and is being run by Teesside’s DigitalCity and the Tees Valley Business Compass.

The workshops cover a range of topics including getting your business online, selling online, using social media to reach more customers, business banking online and accessing business files from any device anywhere in the world.

Michael Ryding, Director of DigitalCity, said: “There are a huge number of economic benefits to businesses of all sizes and sectors in using digital.

“The figures speak for themselves. Those businesses which have a digital presence are more profitable than those that don’t.

“Digital technologies are tools which help businesses to operate more effectively – it doesn’t matter whether you’re a sole trader or running a traditional business employing a team of staff, the workshops offer real skills that can help you grow your business and operate more effectively.”

The Tees Valley Unlimited figure of £10m was based on information from the Office for National Statistics and industry and government reports showing the potential profitability of businesses with a digital presence compared to those without.

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