Page 5 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan 2019

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Executive Summary
This Regional Employment and Skills Plan for South West & Mid Wales has been developed to inform Welsh Government’s (WG) strategic approach to the delivery of employment and skills provision.
This report informs a Regional Planning and Funding Template which details recommended changes to the full time further education and work-based learning offers across the region for the next three years (academic years 19/20, 20/21 and 21/22). Both elements combine to support WG in the delivery of a post-16 learning environment which is fit for purpose and meets the needs of learners, industry and providers.
The RLSP continue to see the plan as the main vehicle for creating change in the region. This iteration differs to its counterparts due to its more ‘long-term’ nature, written for the region with the next three years in mind. The recommendations made will therefore inform an action plan which will dictate the RLSP’s activity over the next three years.
The RLSP has undertaken extensive engagement with industry to inform the development of this plan. A total of 958 businesses engaged with the RLSP through the skills survey with this primary data being complemented by industry cluster group attendance and networking.
The aforementioned cluster groups have and will continue to play a pivotal role in the identification of industry priorities for the region, with plans put in place to address these priorities through effective partnership working with the RLSP and other key stakeholders.
The vision of this document and for the RLSP over the next three years is as follows;
‘To create a post -16 learning environment which meets the needs of learners, industry and providers to improve the economic well-being of South West and Mid Wales’.
The following conclusions and recommendations have been made with this vision in mind and will dictate the RLSP’s activity over the next three years. The recommendations are made under the three most pertinent issues identified throughout the plan, these are; employability, learning and career choices and opportunities and provision.
Employability
Work-readiness and general employability is a clear theme which transcends across sectors as being an area of concern. It is perceived as being a significant barrier to the employment of competent individuals who are able to make a positive contribution to a given business and industry. Further work needs to be done to equip learners with the desired employability skills and soft skills needed to gain meaningful employment which ben- efits both the employer and the employee/learner.
1. Increase engagement with schools to ensure that learners are aware of the skills that employers consider essential ensuring that employability and soft skills are highlighted as being as being as pertinent as technical or practical skills.
2. Enhance partnership working to address the issues around the employability of individuals, especially those experiencing additional barriers to learning and employment.
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales
Executive Summary