GUEST COLUMN:
Dr Jennifer Baxter
CEO
Industry Wales
When we talk about skills in Wales, we’re not short on effort or passion. Across the country, there are people working hard, in colleges, in companies, in government, to equip the next generation with the tools they need to succeed. But when you step back and look at the big picture, a question remains: who’s holding the map?
Wales has a rich skills ecosystem. We have regional skills partnerships across the Southeast, Southwest, North and Mid Wales, each doing valuable work to identify what local employers need and how to respond. We have Medr, the new organisation overseeing qualifications and apprenticeships, building the frameworks that can help deliver future-ready skills. We have a school curriculum that is evolving to reflect a changing world. And we have the Flexible Skills Fund, which supports people to upskill while in work, allowing them to grow and adapt as industries change.
All of this is good. But it’s also fragmented. What we lack is central leadership, a coordinated approach that aligns all these efforts with a clear, long-term vision for the Welsh economy.
Because the real challenge isn’t just delivering skills. It’s connecting them, to each other, to industry, and to the future we want to build.
Too often, we talk about skills in isolation, a report here, a funding pot there, a new qualification over there. But without a joined-up view of what our future industrial landscape looks like, and how our people fit into it, we risk doing a lot of good work without making the impact we need.
The truth is, we already know much of what’s required. We’ve seen the skills reports, year after year. They tell us we need stronger financial capabilities, more design and construction professionals, and more technical talent across digital, engineering, and green sectors. We need to retain and grow businesses here in Wales, not just their production arms, but their HQ functions too: HR, finance, R&D, and leadership.
To get there, we need to start thinking more holistically. That means building industrial pathways, not just individual programmes. It means asking, where are the gaps, and how do we plug them in a way that delivers real, lasting value?
It also means looking at movement, not just of young people entering the workforce, but of adults transitioning into new roles, upskilling within their companies, or reskilling entirely. Skills shouldn’t be seen as a one-time injection, but a lifelong process, one that’s responsive to change and supported by a system that knows where it’s going.
At the moment, our ecosystem is full of potential, but lacking precision. If we want to build an economy fit for the future, we need leadership that can connect the dots, align the players, and give everyone, from students to CEOs, a clearer sense of direction.
It’s time to stop just asking “what skills do we need?” and start asking “how do we make it happen?”
Dr Jennifer Baxter talks about this and more in the recent Net Zero Industries Wales podcast episode “The Green Economy – Investing in Skills and Workforce for a Net Zero Future” listen to the podcast HERE
