Page 70 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan 2019

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Challenges
‘Making a profit’, ‘economic/financial challenges’ and ‘securing work’ were highlighted as the main issues facing businesses operating in Mid Wales.
‘Poor connectivity’ and ‘poor transportation’ links appear to be more of an issue within Mid Wales with a greater proportion of businesses reporting these as challenges. This is consistent with feedback gathered over the previous two years and is in part a symptom of rurality.
The Mid Wales living lab define the challenges faced by Mid Wales as a result of rurality as;
‘Remoteness, limited infrastructure, access to markets and services, the changing agricultural economy, and the future after Brexit.’72
The Workforce
The region has a total employment level of 76,391 and an average wage per job of £22,900. Average wages are £6,400 less than the national average at £29,300.
Employment is biggest in the following industries:
• Growing of crops, market gardening, horticulture and the farming of animals,
• General public administration activities,
• Hospital activities.
Work-readiness
50% of respondents indicated that new entrants to their workforce are work-ready. The remainder stated that ‘it varies’ (37%) and 13% stated that they are not work ready at all. As has been seen across the South West entrants are reportedly missing the desired levels of skills and work experience.
Employers feel that the levels of numeracy and literacy of new entrants are lacking. This is not an issue highlighted solely in Mid Wales but one that has been reported consistently for the last three years across the entirety of the region.
The lack of work experience which employers feel is commonplace is worsening the lack of life skills possessed by education leavers. 30% of respondents indicated that ‘entrants tend to have poor attitudes or motivation’ which substantiates this. There is demand from employers to see an improvement in the delivery of employability skills to ensure that education leaver’s have an understanding of the world of work.
Skills Challenges
Skills challenges were reported by 36% of respondents, with the majority of these presenting themselves in the skilled trade occupations, professional occupations and associate professional and technical occupations.
These skills challenges were defined as;
• Specialist skills or knowledge needed to perform the role (56%)
• Communication skills (23%)
• Problem solving (16%)
• Advanced or specialist IT skills (15%)
72 https://rural-urban.eu/living-lab/mid-wales
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales
Sector Profiles