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The Simple Truth Shaping Omagh’s Future
Across the world, the places that plan for the digital economy thrive. The places that wait fall behind.
This truth explains the opportunity in front of us and the risk of doing nothing.
Omagh is at a turning point. We can choose to lead, or we can watch other towns move ahead in the race to create high-quality digital jobs. The difference is whether we take this simple truth seriously and act now.
Why a Digital Jobs Strategy Matters
In the last Blog, we explored how a network of Digi-Hubs could create 3,000 jobs by 2035.
The potential is real. But potential only becomes progress when we have a plan.
That is why Omagh needs a Digital Jobs Strategy for the next decade.
Not a glossy report.
Not a tagline.
A practical roadmap that helps people build careers, start businesses, and stay rooted in the place they call home.
The World Has Changed: Our Plans Must Change With It
For years, success often meant leaving Omagh. Young people built their futures elsewhere because opportunities were limited.
Today, the world is different:
- remote work is normal
- digital skills open global careers
- AI is changing every industry
- high-speed connectivity means you can work anywhere
But opportunity is never automatic. It happens where planning, infrastructure and leadership meet.
To make Omagh a place where people stay, return and come to live, we need to build the right conditions for high-quality digital work.
What a Digital Jobs Strategy Delivers
A strong strategy does three things.
- It matches local strengths with global trends.
Omagh already has:
- a strong enterprise base
- excellent schools
- world-class connectivity through Project Kelvin
We are not starting from zero. We are starting from strength — in the heart of Northern Ireland.
- It creates clear pathways for people.
A good strategy supports:
- young people choosing their first career
- mid-career workers shifting into digital roles
- entrepreneurs starting and scaling businesses
Everyone can see the next step forward.
- It directs investment where it delivers greatest return.
The right strategy guides:
- Digital-Hub networks
- AI and skills training
- start-up support
- town-centre regeneration
When these elements come together, energy builds. When they do not, progress stalls.
The Strule Opportunity: A Once-in-a-Generation Moment
When five major schools move to the new Strule Shared Education Campus, Omagh will gain large, high-quality buildings in central locations.
These buildings can sit empty, or they can become the heart of a modern town-centre digital economy.
When linked with a 10-year strategy, they become:
- collaborative workspaces
- AI and digital training centres
- creative studios
- remote-work hubs
- start-up accelerators
The buildings exist. The demand exists — from local startups, graduates and digital professionals. Now we need action and investment.
Why Omagh Must Act Now
Every month we delay, the cost of missed opportunity grows. Other towns are moving quickly; some already have multimillion-pound digital investment plans in place.
From an economic development perspective, three pressures make the case urgent:
-
Talent retention
Every year, talented people leave because they do not see a path here.
-
Business growth
Local firms need digital capability to stay competitive and scale.
-
Regional competitiveness
Northern Ireland is changing fast. The towns that invest in digital capacity will lead.
The question is not whether Omagh should act.
It is whether we act in time.
A Strategy Built for Everyone
A Digital Jobs Strategy is not just for tech firms. It supports:
- remote workers
- small businesses updating their skills
- creative professionals
- returning graduates
- entrepreneurs
- people seeking new careers
It strengthens the entire local economy.
What Happens Next
A strategy only works when business, education, community and government pull together.
We need:
- clear vision
- clear targets
- clear responsibilities
- clear timelines
- clear investment priorities
When these elements are in place, progress follows. When they are missing, little happens.
An Invitation to Shape Omagh’s Future
If you work in digital or AI, run a business, hope to return home, or want to live in Omagh, now is the time to get involved.
The next chapter of Omagh’s story should not be decided somewhere else.
It should be decided here, by the people who choose to build it.
The opportunity is real. The moment is now.
And the simple truth remains: the towns that plan for an AI digitally driven world will thrive.👉 Want to be part of the conversation about Omagh’s Digital Jobs Strategy?
👉 Join the movement
Connect with us, invest with us, and help Omagh build a network of Digital Hubs that creates thousands of jobs for the next generation.
Get in touch at: omaghenterprise.co.uk/contact-us
