Hello, I’m Dave Hudson and the CEO of two companies, Mpirical and PQMS, the UK training subsidiaries of Swedish company Hexatronic, delivering connectivity solutions globally.
Mpirical focuses on mobile and wireless technology skills training and resources and has worked in more than 180 countries over the last 22 years. PQMS, on the other hand, specialises more on practical training for fixed fibre telecoms, working across four dedicated centres UK-wide.
The telecoms industry is constantly growing fast and changing quickly, and keeping up to date with skills is essential. My teams work with people already in the sector, who are learning new skills or the latest technologies, but also with those changing careers and apprentices.
The UK is experiencing significant shortages in the sector. It’s an issue for new digital infrastructure in particular: there are just not enough people who understand and are able to deploy at the pace that is needed. Mpirical and PQMS both aim to help address these skills gaps, teaching relevant training content, facilitating certifications and recruiting apprentices.
What do you enjoy most about working in this space?
I’ve witnessed great technological advancements in my 30 years working in telecoms and IT. There is always something new, especially in recent years with high-capacity fibre and wireless connectivity; totally changing what’s possible in work and everyday lives.
What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve done in the name of work?
One summer, when driving down to Cornwall for a holiday, I diverted my family into an industrial estate in Exeter. I ended up lifting up chamber lids to see if a competitor had already laid fibre. They still talk and laugh about it now! To be honest, I do find it hard to switch-off – always thinking how we can be growing the business.
What excites you most about working in telecoms?
The way telecoms can transform peoples’ lives allowing them to live and work anywhere. It is a very varied industry, with a lot of adjacent areas. The convergence between the traditional telco world and newer technologies such as cloud and AI is particularly exciting, opening up new possibilities and driving advancements.
What would you like people to know about your work?
People and the companies they work for are at the heart of our training. We equip them with the skills and knowledge to understand and get the most out of the latest technologies available. We also provide them with learning engagement support beyond just the training content. In turn this is accelerating deployments and careers.
Why is a vibrant, flourishing telecoms ecosystem important for the UK?
Telecoms digital infrastructure underpins everything. As a sector, we like to talk about exciting applications and use cases, but none of these are possible without great connectivity. For me, a vibrant, flourishing telecoms ecosystem is absolutely fundamental and although we’ve come a long way, the UK has some catching up to do versus global peers It creates skilled jobs, increases productivity and attracts inward investment to the UK.
