Matching Our Skilling with Our Motivations

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Welsh Government , 12th March 2021

There’s never been a more important time to help employers and employees acquire the skills they need here in Wales. Every region and community across the country is facing many challenges and opportunities.

In a post-pandemic and post-Brexit world, Skills Gateway for Business is here to help everyone prepare, develop and adapt; identifying and nurturing the skills needed to thrive and prosper in what many are calling the fourth industrial revolution.

Last summer the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales pledged to invest in helping businesses recruit and train up an inclusive workforce – with particular emphasis on improved outcomes for disabled people and the creation of six Disabled People’s Employment Champions.

We spoke with Steve McNally, Business News Wales’ Industry Editor for Skills & Learning, to find out how Welsh Government programmes are helping Wales to skill, upskill and re-skill, and to fully realise the potential of every person and every enterprise across the country.

“For the past 30 years or so I’ve been writing about skills shortages in some shape or form. From STEM skills crises to demographic timebombs and accessibility discrimination; you name it, I’ve probably covered it. But this perfect storm of pandemic, Brexit and the Fourth Industrial Revolution has caused me to stop and reflect – and I’ve come to the conclusion that bridging the skills gap is all about matching the training with the motivations of the people being trained.

“Engaging the hearts and minds of people we need to train, retrain, redeploy or recruit”

“That’s why the We’re in Your Corner campaign is so pertinent, as we need to embrace every talent community and strengthen every type of business in Wales.

“Skills Gateway is such an important platform for our future success as a country, with the whole ‘Prepare. Develop. Adapt’ philosophy giving any organisation in Wales the tailored support it needs to identify the skills profile it has today and align it with the workforce requirements of tomorrow. It also provides a roadmap to engage with the hearts and minds of the people it needs to train, retrain, redeploy or recruit.

“I spoke with employers and training providers in Wales and found a common view that we’re at a moment in time where we can create a resilient, prosperous and inclusive future if we work together to make that future happen.”

“Acting now to make sure a generation of people aren’t left behind”

For John-Paul Barker, PwC’s Regional Leader for Wales & The West of England, “closing the skills gap and creating opportunities for young people is simply vital. Wales has particularly big challenges and we need to act now to make sure a generation of people aren’t left behind. This comes back to the importance of education, but also how Wales’ problems cannot be solved by the government alone.

“The role that business has to play in upskilling is critical to ensuring Wales’ workforce is where it needs to be as the 2020s progress. With growth comes a commitment to diversity and social mobility and that’s especially the case here in Wales, where the challenges we are facing in wealth disparity over the next 10 years are going to be significant.”

“An incredible opportunity for Wales to revolutionise the employability and wellbeing of both the present and future generations.”

John Kilvington’s Career-Fit maps motivations and identifies career and entrepreneurial paths for individuals, employers, training providers and governments – and he believes “this pandemic presents an incredible opportunity for Wales to revolutionise the employability agenda and positively affect the wellbeing of both the present and future generations. This is a global phenomenon, but Wales is supremely positioned to take an agile and future focused approach to employability.

“The key is that employability skills are learnt skills available to virtually everybody. It only needs individuals to be motivated to be able to totally transform the employability landscape. We can identify these skills and map them to opportunities but the key is motivating each individual to play their part in this revolution. If Wales is brave, it will happen.”

“Very few of us really know ourselves and the career paths that are ‘right’ for us”

For Louise Harris of Cardiff-based Big Learning Company, assessing someone’s suitability for skilling means connecting with the natural ambitions of the individual – and very often being the catalyst for a light-bulb moment: “Very few of us really know ourselves, at any age. Yet we expect people with little experience of life or knowledge of themselves in a workplace to jump at an advertising message, sail through a training programme and enjoy a brilliant working experience with the employers who are right for them. That’s’ why the Skills Gateway is a critical platform for harnessing all the undoubted talent and potential we have here in Wales, for people of any age or experience.”

“A great opportunity to build a more prosperous, equal and greener economy in Wales ”

That opportunity for Wales to seize the day is borne out by conversations with many different employers across Wales. The last word goes to one of those, Paul Thornton, Head of Talent Acquisition at Kier Group plc: “Like so many other industries, Engineering and Construction is changing before our very eyes – and yet for the past decade this sector has had unfilled vacancies in key areas, whether the economy is booming or in a recession. If Wales can embrace an inclusive skilling method that matches talent to opportunity in all sectors, it has a great chance to build a more prosperous, equal and greener economy than ever before.”

For more information on the support available through Skills Gateway, head to We're in your corner | Business Wales Skills Gateway (gov.wales) or call 03000 6 03000 to speak with a Business Wales adviser.

Mae helpu cyflogwyr a gweithwyr i ennill y sgiliau sydd eu hangen arnyn nhw yng Nghymru yn bwysiach nag erioed. Mae pob rhanbarth a chymuned yng Nghymru benbaladr yn wynebu heriau a chyfleoedd di-ri. Mewn byd ôl-bandemig ac ôl-Brexit, mae’r Porth Sgiliau i Fusnes yma i helpu pawb i baratoi, datblygu ac addasu; gan nodi a meithrin y sgiliau sydd eu hangen i ffynnu a llwyddo yn yr hyn y mae llawer yn ei alw’n bedwerydd chwyldro diwydiannol.

Yn ystod haf 2020, fe wnaeth Gweinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru addo buddsoddiad i helpu busnesau i recriwtio a hyfforddi gweithlu cynhwysol – gyda phwyslais arbennig ar wella canlyniadau i bobl anabl a chreu rhwydwaith o Hyrwyddwyr Cyflogaeth Pobl Anabl.

Buom yn siarad â Steve McNally, Golygydd Diwydiant Business News Wales ar gyfer Sgiliau a Dysgu, i weld sut mae rhaglenni Llywodraeth Cymru’n helpu Cymru i feithrin sgiliau, uwchsgilio ac ailsgilio, ac i wireddu potensial pob person a phob menter yn llawn ledled y wlad.

“Ers tua 30 mlynedd rydw i wedi bod yn ysgrifennu am brinder sgiliau o ryw fath neu'i gilydd. O argyfyngau sgiliau STEM i fomiau amser demograffig a gwahaniaethu oherwydd hygyrchedd; beth bynnag ydy o, mae’n siŵr y bydda i wedi ysgrifennu amdano fo. Ond mae’r storom berffaith hon o bandemig, Brexit a’r Pedwerydd Chwyldro Diwydiannol wedi peri i mi oedi a myfyrio - ac rydw i wedi dod i’r casgliad bod pontio’r bwlch sgiliau yn y bôn yn golygu paru hyfforddiant gyda chymhellion y bobl sy’n cael eu hyfforddi.

“Cymell calonnau a meddyliau y bobl sydd angen i ni eu hyfforddi, eu hailhyfforddi, eu hadleoli neu eu recriwtio”

“Dyna pam mae ymgyrch Yn Gefn i Chi mor berthnasol, gan fod angen i ni gofleidio pob cymuned o dalentau a chryfhau pob math o fusnesau yng Nghymru.

“Mae’r Porth Sgiliau yn blatfform mor bwysig i lwyddiant dyfodol ein gwlad, gyda’r holl athroniaeth ‘Paratoi. Datblygu. Addasu’ yn rhoi’r cymorth wedi’i deilwra angenrheidiol i unrhyw sefydliad yng Nghymru i nodi’r proffil sgiliau sydd ganddo heddiw a’i gysoni â gofynion gweithlu yfory. Mae hefyd yn darparu cyfeiriad i gymell calonnau a meddyliau’r bobl sydd angen i ni eu hyfforddi, eu hailhyfforddi, eu hadleoli neu eu recriwtio.

“Fe fues i’n siarad â chyflogwyr a darparwyr hyfforddiant yng Nghymru a chanfod barn gyffredin ein bod ni mewn cyfnod lle y gallwn greu dyfodol cydnerth, ffyniannus a chynhwysol, os ydyn ni’n cydweithio i sicrhau’r dyfodol hwnnw.”

“Gweithredu yn awr i sicrhau nad oes cenhedlaeth o bobl yn cael eu gadael ar ôl”

Yn ôl John-Paul Barker, Arweinydd Rhanbarthol PwC ar gyfer Cymru a Gorllewin Lloegr, “Mae cau’r bwlch sgiliau a chreu cyfleoedd i bobl ifanc yn hanfodol. Mae gan Gymru heriau mawr ac mae angen i ni weithredu yn awr i sicrhau nad oes cenhedlaeth o bobl yn cael eu gadael ar ôl. Mae hyn yn mynd yn ôl i bwysigrwydd addysg, ond hefyd i sut na all y llywodraeth ar ei phen ei hun ddatrys problemau Cymru.

“Mae’r rôl sydd gan fusnes i’w chyflawni mewn uwchsgilio’n allweddol i sicrhau bod gweithlu Cymru ble y dylai fod yn ystod y 2020au. Gyda thwf daw ymrwymiad i amrywiaeth a symudedd cymdeithasol ac mae hynny’n arbennig o wir yma yng Nghymru, lle mae’r heriau rydyn ni’n eu hwynebu o ran gwahaniaethau cyfoeth dros y 10 mlynedd nesaf yn mynd i fod yn sylweddol.”

“Cyfle anhygoel i Gymru chwyldroi cyflogadwyedd a lles cenedlaethau heddiw ac yfory.”

Mae John Kilvington yn mapio cymhellion gyrfa ac yn nodi llwybrau gyrfa ac entrepreneuraidd i unigolion, cyflogwyr, darparwyr hyfforddiant a llywodraethau - ac mae’n credu bod “y pandemig hwn yn gyfle anhygoel i Gymru chwyldroi’r agenda gyflogadwyedd ac effeithio’n gadarnhaol ar les cenedlaethau heddiw ac yfory. Mae hon yn ffenomenon fyd-eang, ond mae Cymru mewn lle rhagorol i fabwysiadu ymagwedd ystwyth at gyflogadwyedd sy’n canolbwyntio ar y dyfodol.

“Yr allwedd yw bod sgiliau cyflogadwyedd yn sgiliau y gellir eu dysgu ac sydd ar gael i bawb bron iawn. Dim ond unigolion brwdfrydig sydd eu heisiau i drawsnewid y dirwedd gyflogadwyedd yn llwyr. Gallwn nodi’r sgiliau hyn a’u mapio i gyfleoedd ond yr allwedd yw ysgogi pob unigolyn i wneud ei ran yn y chwyldro hwn. Os yw Cymru’n ddewr, bydd hyn yn digwydd.”

“Ychydig ohonon ni sydd wir yn nabod ein hunain a’r llwybrau gyrfa sy’n ‘iawn’ i ni”

Yn ôl Louise Harris o Big Learning Company, Caerdydd, mae asesu addasrwydd rhywun ar gyfer sgilio yn golygu cysylltu ag uchelgeisiau naturiol yr unigolyn - ac yn aml iawn bod yn gatalydd ar gyfer yr eiliad ‘bwlb golau’: “Ychydig ohonon ni sydd wir yn nabod ein hunain, beth bynnag fo’n hoedran. Ac eto, rydyn ni’n disgwyl i bobl heb fawr o brofiad o fywyd neu wybodaeth am eu hunain yn y gweithle i neidio at neges hysbysebu, hwylio trwy raglen hyfforddi a mwynhau profiad gweithio gwych gyda’r cyflogwyr sy’n iawn iddyn nhw. Dyna pam mae’r Porth Sgiliau’n blatfform hanfodol ar gyfer manteisio i’r eithaf ar yr holl dalent a photensial amlwg sydd yng Nghymru, ar gyfer pobl o unrhyw oedran neu brofiad.”

“Cyfle gwych i greu Cymru fwy cyfartal a llwyddiannus”

Mae’r cyfle hwnnw i Gymru fentro yn deillio o sgyrsiau gyda llawer o gyflogwyr gwahanol ledled Cymru. Mae’r gair olaf yn mynd i un o’r rhain, Paul Thornton, Pennaeth Caffael Talent Kier Group plc: “Fel cymaint o ddiwydiannau eraill, mae Peirianneg ac Adeiladu’n newid o flaen ein llygaid – ac eto dros y degawd diwethaf mae gan y sector hwn swyddi gwag heb eu llenwi mewn meysydd allweddol, waeth a yw’r economi’n ffynnu neu mewn dirwasgiad. Os gall Cymru gofleidio dull sgiliau cynhwysol sy’n paru talent i gyfle ym mhob sector, mae ganddi gyfle gwych i greu dyfodol mwy cyfartal a llwyddiannus nag erioed o’r blaen.”