Welsh employers are using Apprenticeship Week Wales 2026 to highlight apprenticeships as a practical response to skills shortages, recruitment pressures and long-term workforce planning.
Across sectors including technology, healthcare and energy, businesses and public sector organisations say apprenticeships are becoming embedded in how they plan for growth and resilience.
Speaking on the Business News Wales People & Skills podcast, employers point to the Welsh model, where organisations cover wages while the Welsh Government funds training through approved providers, as a key enabler.
At managed service provider Flotek, apprenticeships are being used to build a sustainable talent pipeline alongside rapid business growth. Founded in 2022, the company has expanded quickly through acquisition and now employs around 130 people across Wales and England.
Managing Director Malcolm Holland said apprenticeships have allowed the business to bring people in through alternative routes, including those unable or unwilling to access university, and to develop skills aligned closely with its IT, cyber and communications services. Rather than being treated as an add-on, apprenticeships form part of workforce planning, supporting succession planning and long-term skills development.
Malcolm described apprentices as “our strategic talent pipeline”, pointing to examples of both school leavers and career changers progressing into operationally important roles. He said the availability of Welsh Government-funded training, alongside support from training providers, has made apprenticeships a viable option for a fast-growing business.
In the public sector, similar themes are emerging. At Hywel Dda University Health Board, apprenticeships are being used to support workforce planning across a wide range of roles. Its Apprenticeship Academy, launched in 2019, initially focused on adult general nursing but has since expanded into areas including digital, estates, finance and corporate governance.
Nicola Fourie, Apprenticeship Academy Co-ordinator, said apprenticeships allow the health board to address future workforce needs by training people in real working environments, supported by experienced staff. She said this approach is particularly important given the challenges of an ageing population and the need to plan for backfilling roles over time.
Nicola also highlighted the role apprenticeships play in diversifying the workforce, attracting people of different ages, backgrounds and career histories. She said there remains a perception that apprenticeships are only for young people or represent an easier option than university, something she challenged based on the demands placed on healthcare apprentices combining frontline work with study.
In the energy sector, apprenticeships are also being positioned as central to future-proofing critical infrastructure. At ENGIE UK, apprenticeships are supporting skills development at its Welsh pumped storage hydro sites, operated through First Hydro Company.
Jen Freeland, UK Talent Development and DEI Manager, said apprenticeships are helping the business plan for long-term refurbishment work at Dinorwig and Ffestiniog by bringing new skills into a workforce with a relatively high average age. She said apprenticeships enable experienced employees to pass on knowledge while new entrants bring fresh perspectives and different ways of working.
Jen said Welsh Government-funded apprenticeships have been particularly important in rural areas, allowing ENGIE to work with local providers such as Coleg Llandrillo Menai to recruit and train local people. She also highlighted how apprenticeships are used across ENGIE UK in areas including engineering, IT, data, project management and leadership.
Reflecting on her own experience of completing an apprenticeship later in her career, Jen said it helped challenge assumptions about who apprenticeships are for, demonstrating that they can support progression and confidence-building at different life stages.
Across all three organisations, employers said apprenticeships are increasingly viewed as a practical response to skills gaps rather than a peripheral training option.
The Welsh Government Apprenticeship Programme is delivered by a network of training providers across Wales. Find out more about apprenticeships here.
Hear more on the People & Skills podcast episode Building the Future – The Benefits of Investing in Apprenticeships. Listen here.
