Page 25 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan 2018

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There may also be significant changes to sectors which have been identified by the PWC as wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, transportation and storage and administrative and support services14.
Automation is likely to drive upskilling ‘In advanced economies occupations that currently require a secondary education or less see a net decline from automation, while those occupations requiring college degrees and higher grow.’15 It is also likely that all future roles will have an element of digital within them rather than being specifically digital, for example using telehealth applications within the delivery of social care. It is important therefore that occupational standards consider the impact of digital transformation within their respective occupational areas, in particular how roles can benefit from digital change and how individual’s digital responsibilities can be identified.
ICT sectoral changes
The rapidly evolving nature of the ICT industry means that programming languages and industry standards are constantly changing, with employers requiring staff to be trained in the most appropriate for their business needs and system type. RLSP employer evidence suggests that ICT provision is not successful at maintaining pace with change, that provision is ‘not fit for purpose’.
The ability for occupational standards to meet the need of businesses in the ICT is impacted by this pace of change and it is important that the review process is flexible enough to respond to changes within the industry.
The RLSP will support the identification of future job roles and skills requirements through its role within the Swansea Bay City Deal with a focus on the requirements of the 10 remaining City Deal projects. Information collected through this activity will be shared to support the development of appropriate NOS for emerging roles.
2.10 Green Growth
The vision set out by WG in the economic strategy ‘Economic Renewal: a new direction (2010)’ is centred on achieving economic prosperity through the ‘strengths and skills of its people and natural environment’. A key part of this strategy was the identification of nine priority sectors; ICT, Energy and Environment, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, Creative Industries, Life Sciences, Financial and Professional Services, Construction, Tourism and Food and Farming. These sectors are deemed as those who can provide wider economic benefit through exploiting ‘ICT, creating green jobs, resource efficiency and the movement to a low carbon economy’16.
The economic profile of Wales has historically been shifting from a manufacturing dominated base resulting in ‘trends and predicted changes in industrial structure having important implications for the design and successful implementation of green growth policies’17. Hence, placing the green economy in a key position as Wales strives to foster innovation and create a prosperous economy that works for everyone.
Green growth can be defined as;
‘Green growth in Wales is about fostering economic growth, development and social inclusion while ensuring that the natural assets provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies. To do this it must stimulate investment and innovation which will underpin sustained growth and give rise to new economic opportunities, human capital formation and skills building, and redistribute the proceeds of growth’18.
16 http://www.cynnalcymru.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Green-Growth-Baseline-Study1.pdf 17 http://www.cynnalcymru.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Green-Growth-Baseline-Study1.pdf 18 http://www.cynnalcymru.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Green-Growth-Baseline-Study1.pdf
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales Policy Context