Welsh formula working to get young people back into employment: Deputy Minister tells UK Commissioners
29 Oct 2013
An intelligent combination of targeted skills development and job experience, fully backed by employers, is the right formula for getting young people back into employment, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) was told during its visit to Wales.
Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Ken Skates, outlined the progress the Welsh Government is making on youth employment when speaking to members of the Commission on the eve of their first official meeting to be held in Cardiff.
Commission members were joined by leading Welsh employers for the curtain raiser event, during which they discussed the skills challenges facing industry and the wider economy.
UKCES was set up in order to provide a strong voice for employers on skills and employment issues, to promote investment in training and to support governments in increasing the competitiveness of the workforce. The UK Commission includes senior employer representatives from across industry sectors.
The Deputy Minister told Commissioners and employers on Monday evening (October 28) that youth training programmes in Wales recognise that young people without work need a combination of skills development, job experience and the support of employers in order to break into the workforce.
He pointed to the success to date of Wales’s Jobs Growth Wales scheme, which has so far provided job opportunities for nearly 9,000 young people and resulted in 75% of participants gaining sustainable employment, in many cases with formal apprenticeship training.
The Deputy Minister urged employers present to get involved in the programme which is now being extended to cover 16,000 people.
Today’s landmark UKCES meeting is being hosted by Wales’ representative on the Commission, Scott Waddington, who is chief executive of brewing, catering and hospitality company SA Brain. The event is taking place at the firm’s Cardiff headquarters.
He said: “We’re grateful for this opportunity to share with colleagues from across the UK how we in Wales are equipping our workforce, and particularly our young workforce, with the skills and experience they need to contribute fully in a competitive economy.
“A sustained dialogue between employers of all sizes and sectors with both the Welsh and UK governments is essential to ensuring the skills developed by our young people match those required by industry to drive our economy forward.”
In addition to his role as Commissioner Mr Waddington has just been appointed as Chair of the Wales Employment and Skills Board which comprises representatives from the education, business, public and private sector and is responsible for public policy implementation.
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