Liverpool IT entrepreneur James Hamilton welcomes Liverpool city region’s £68m investment in new skills – but insists they must spend wisely and prioritise tech skills. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool IT firm founder James Hamilton says investment into new skills in the city region must focus on the right areas – with tech and IT top of the list.

In March the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said it would invest £68m in adult training over the next 12 months funding colleges, skills bootcamps and free courses.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram says this funding will ensure that residents can access high-quality training opportunities, tackling skills shortages and meeting the needs of local employers in Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens and Halton.

James, founder of Liverpool city centre IT consultancy Halcyon, has welcomed the investment but says it must be targeted at the right areas and insists tech and IT skills must be at the top of the list.

Halcyon has around 120 clients, in the UK and increasingly, in Dubai. The business is growing fast and James has a lot of confidence in his young team and says he will need to recruit further as it strives to meet soaring demand.

“There was a time we could distinguish between companies that relied on technology and those that didn’t – but those days are gone,” said James. “In 2025 pretty much all businesses are reliant on technology in some form or other.

“Technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics are developing at an incredible speed and we need an army of people, across all sectors of the economy, who have the skills to utilise them fully.

“Digital technology is not optional so that has to be the primary focus of any investment into new skills.”

In late 2023, more than £800,000 – some of which came from the Combined Authority – was allocated to a new TV and film skills training academy in Liverpool city region to capitalise on the surge in TV and movie-makers filming across Merseyside.

James added: “I think that is great. TV and film is a growing sector for the city region. However, there has to be a balance. There may be a temptation to offer training in areas that seem glamorous to young people. There has to be an emphasis on sectors where demand for skills is greatest.

“No one knows the value of skills and training better than us. My co-director at the firm is Tom Woods. He started here as an apprentice just five years ago. If we invest in young people, that is what is possible.”

In March James issued a warning to city region firms to be aware of the need to upgrade their IT systems from Windows 10 to Windows 11 by October to avoid major security risks.

“That switchover and the risks it creates is critical knowledge for most businesses, but how many are aware?” asked James. “Liverpool city region needs a tech-savvy workforce that is aware of these issues before they become a problem.

“We could become a world leader in digital technology here in the city region if we equip young people with the IT and tech skills that are now in huge demand. This new investment in skills offers a great opportunity to create that knowledge base.”