We're calling on the next Welsh Government to ensure that companies’ skills planning and business support are more consistently linked and coordinated in both physical and virtual environments, improve the skills element of the Business Wales service by building closer links with FE, establish a Centre for Vocational Education and Training to enhance dual professionalism, strengthen collaboration between business and FEIs and support the practical application of innovation and reassess the impact of Regional Skills Partnerships, the Apprenticeship Advisory Board and the Wales Employment and Skills Board.
The next Welsh Government should:
- Ensure that companies’ skills planning and business support are more consistently linked and coordinated in both physical and virtual environments, with FEIs operating as locations or hubs for business support and services such as Business Wales.
- Improve the skills element of the Business Wales service by building closer links with FE offering flexible accredited training for SME business owners and their staff.
- Establish a Centre for Vocational Education and Training to enhance dual professionalism, strengthen collaboration between business and FEIs and support the practical application of innovation. The Centre would also provide access to new technology, particularly by SMEs, and strengthen supply chains between SMEs and anchor companies.
- Reassess the impact of Regional Skills Partnerships, the Apprenticeship Advisory Board and the Wales Employment and Skills Board and whether these functions could be streamlined or undertaken more effectively, potentially within or by other organisations. Subject to this assessment, in future, such bodies must have a clear remit and transparent, effective governance procedures to enable independent and evidence-based planning advice for schools, colleges, and universities as well as the development of apprenticeships.
Better skills and business engagement
We highlight the need to develop better skills and business engagement.
PolicyPod
In this Podcast episode, Iestyn Davies, Chief Executive of ColegauCymru holds a discussion around our fourth theme, Better skills and business engagement with Principal of Pembrokeshire College Barry Walters, Chief Executive of Grwp Llandrillo Menai Dafydd Evans and Coleg y Cymoedd Chief Executive, Karen Phillips.
