Skills.Wales, a new collaboration and communications initiative designed to place industry leaders at the heart of a range of skills quandaries has confirmed its launch on 23rd April.

Founding partners include Swansea Bay Region Skills Partnership, Cardiff & Vale College, Wrexham University and NTFW who collectively will be working together to support and enhance the development of future skills programmes in Wales.

Developing a collaborative skills roadmap in Wales is a top priority for industry and government and is critical to meeting the evolving demands of the modern economic and industrial landscape.

Skills.Wales has been created to ensure that its broad spectrum of partners convenes on a regular basis to deliberate and spotlight crucial skills-related challenges.

Following a variety of upcoming discussions, all conversations will be disseminated, producing a wealth of expert insight, generating powerful communications that reverberate far beyond the discussions.

Furthermore, as part of the Skills.Wales initiative, a snapshot of all insights gathered from each discussion theme will also be shared with ministers and government officials at both the Welsh and UK Governments, ensuring those with influence have further insight, directly from those at the heart of industry.

The first discussion theme focused on developing an improved pathway for young people leaving school and will consider the challenges young people face in transitioning from the education system into the world of work, further training or self-employment.

Jane Lewis, Regional Partnership Manager, South West Wales RLSP commented:

I am thrilled about the launch of Skills.Wales and its promise to bring amplified visibility to the myriad of skills challenges we face in our region and across Wales.

This initiative stands as a beacon of collaboration and communication, uniquely positioning industry leaders to influence the future of skills development directly. By uniting a diverse group of partners and stakeholders, Skills.Wales is set to illuminate the critical skills needs and opportunities within our economy, enabling us to tailor our strategies and programs more effectively.

Sharon James Evans – Principal and Cardiff and Vale College commented:

Skills.Wales will be an independent platform. I hope it will be instrumental in highlighting the nuances of our skills challenges. It’s an opportunity to facilitate further discussion and collaboration between education, industry and government.

Former First Minster, Carwyn Jones, who will chair each industry discussion, commented:

Skills leaders naturally have their ear to the ground when it comes to an understanding of their industry, and it's important that this experience and insight and, in some instances ‘live working case studies are conveyed to the right government officials.

How this information is fact-checked and communicated to the government and the wider industry will be essential, and with my experience of working with advisory boards and consultants in my role as first minister, I look forward to supporting skills.wales with this endeavour.

To find out more about Skills.Wales objectives and future debates visit www.skills.wales

If your organisation would like to find out more about participating in this communications initiative contact [email protected]