Page 17 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan

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In the 2012 Global Innovation Index report the UK was rated 5th out of 141 nations. Wales benefits from many of the same positive underpinning characteristics for innovation, such as a business friendly environment and access to a first class research base, as the rest of the UK. This is a positive foundation on which to build. Wales has 4.9% of the UK population, but only 1.6% of UK industrial R&D. To improve this key performance indicator for a Knowledge Economy, it is essential to attract large companies to Wales: 97.5% of industrial R&D is in large companies, which also tend to pay higher wages than SMEs, and will therefore help to tackle Wales’ low wage economy problems.
However levels of R&D in Wales are significantly below what we are capable of. Indeed we have a strong academic base and there are many large anchor companies with a presence here, however business R&D is particularly low when compared to other parts of the UK and globally.
The innovation strategy for Wales identifies five key themes where efforts should be concentrated:
• improving collaboration,
• promoting a culture of innovation,
• providing flexible support and finance for innovation,
• innovation in government,
• prioritising and creating critical mass.
High-tech clusters tend to include a range of different sized companies operating in symbiotic relationship with each other. Larger companies cascade quality standards and high value-added activities down supply chains. To create high-tech clusters, it is important for the Higher Education and Public sectors to engage proactively in the development of supply chains, and to attract investment from large companies.
2.9.1 Higher Education in Further Education
The development of enhanced learning routes including vocational routes places an emphasis on the role of higher education within further education with a greater emphasis on collaboration. ‘There should be a more holistic and regional view of post-16 education in Wales, supported by stronger regional planning. Collaboration between higher and further education providers needs to be strengthened so that progression and even simultaneous study in both sectors can become a reality.’25 As a result of the review undertaken a series of recommendations have been produced which emphasise the importance of enhancing the provisional offer of Higher Education in Further Education ‘This is the time for consolidating provision, strengthening collaboration and building joint partnerships with industry.’26
The University of Wales Trinity Saint David Group is a Dual Sector University, through the merger of Coleg Sir Gâr (2013) and Coleg Ceredigion (2014), to create a system of education providing progression routes from entry level to doctoral studies within the region.
Swansea University has established the College University Skills Partnership (CUSP), which works with Further Education Colleges to develop skills pathways which meet the needs of companies with growth potential. Within CUSP, Swansea University works with three independent Further Education Colleges in SW and Central Wales Regional Learning Partnership and one Further Education College in North Wales Economic Ambition Board.
25 Review of higher education in further education institutions – Welsh Government - 2015 26 Review of higher education in further education institutions – Welsh Government - 2015
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales Policy Context