A TECH boom in the north-west of England is helping a Scottish company towards a projected 100 per cent rise in turnover by 2020.
Cathcart Associates, an Edinburgh-based independent IT recruitment specialist, expects to see its revenue rise to more than £4 million in the next three years in its Manchester division.
Its headcount is also expected to double in the same period.
Manchester is something of a hotbed for tech start-ups and since opening its office there two years ago, Edinburgh-based Cathcart has seen a steady growth in demand for its services. It has also chalked up some significant business wins, including a partnership with one of the UK’s best digital agencies, Mando
The company believes its ambitious targets are achievable and would see a record percentage growth should they be met.
To meet the challenge, the firm has set up a dedicated training programme for graduate recruits who will work on its expanding client list in the area.
Cathcart has also been running a series of artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning workshops with specialist start-up Octavia.ai.
The quarterly MancML events bring together some of the brightest minds in the UK in the fields of AI, machine learning and data analytics, and give Manchester-based firms that are pushing the boundaries in the field a chance to share experiences and hear from expert speakers from a range of firms.
Cathcart’s graduate scheme has been set up to deliver a unique training programme providing trainees with the highest standard of recruitment training.
It already has a policy of hiring only new graduates and this programme formalises this growth strategy.
Sam Wason, co-founder and director of Cathcart Associates, said: “The volume of tech success stories coming out of Manchester is impressive.
“Manchester’s technology sector is bursting with potential and we are excited to be part of the tech scene here and to support it as it competes with other tech hubs for talent and business.”
He added: “While there are other IT recruitment firms in the area, Cathcart Associates stand out for its quality of approach and service.
“We are an independent business, free from the constraints of a parent company, and our dedication is now feeding through to the results we are seeing in the business.”
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