Government needs more people with backgrounds in industry and “on the shopfloor”, according to the Welsh Government’s Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership, Jack Sargeant.
Speaking to Cardiff Business Club, the Minister told of his own journey from apprenticeship to shopfloor worker before becoming a Senedd member at the age of 23.
He is “particularly proud” of being the only minister responsible for apprenticeships in any UK government to have been an apprentice themselves, he said.
The lessons and skills learned on the shopfloor have informed him in government, he told the audience, adding that his own experiences had helped him to have “difficult conversations around the Cabinet table” about the need to increase skills funding.
The budget for the Flexible Skills Programme had increased six times, he said.
The Minister also spoke about the need for business and government to embrace AI, saying that Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, had set up an Office for Artificial Intelligence, and adding that further information would be announced imminently.
Responding to an audience question about how employers could better support staff with their mental health, the Minister spoke of the importance of leading with compassion.
The Club lunch was held at The Classroom restaurant at Cardiff and Vale College.
Giving a vote of thanks Sharon James-Evans, Principal of Cardiff and Vale College and a Cardiff Business Club Board member, said the Minister was a “compassionate campaigner for better mental health” and thanked him for being open and honest about the topic.
She also announced the awarding of a Cardiff Business Club bursary to Cardiff and Vale College student Erin, who joined the college aged 14 to do a junior apprenticeship after becoming disengaged with school.
Erin has since progressed through Levels 1 and 2 in Health and Social Care and is now working as a healthcare support worker caring for patients with mental illness and acquired brain injury.
Club Chairman Phil Jardine said:
“We are grateful to Jack Sargeant for stepping in at short notice to address the Club, and for sharing his story so eloquently and engagingly. His messages around skills, technology and mental health really resonated with our audience and provided plenty of food for thought.
“Our congratulations also go to Erin on her very well-deserved bursary. The Club is delighted to recognise her achievements, and we’re sure she has a bright future ahead.”
The next event in the club’s calendar will be a Prostate Cymru Fundraising Breakfast in aid of the Club’s charity partner for the 2025-26 season. It will be held at On The River, Cardiff, on Thursday November 13 2025 from 9.30am – 11.30am. Tickets are free but booking is required via https://cardiffbusinessclub.org/event/prostate-cymru-fundraising-breakfast/
On 9 December 2025 the Club will be at Sophia Gardens between noon and 4pm for a panel conversation chaired by Sophie Howe, featuring individuals who have already directly benefited from the investment which Bute Energy has made in Wales. The event is also the Club’s festive get-together, so the dress code will be Christmas jumpers, and Aloud Charity’s Creative Director Craig Yates will lead an after-dinner Christmas sing-along. To book a place visit https://cardiffbusinessclub.org/event/the-renewable-energy-transition/
