Page 31 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan

29
The Apprenticeship levy is a source of confusion for employers, especially those who have sites that are outside of Wales where there are fears that this could have negative impacts on training. The trailblazer model currently delivered in England is seen as a strong model which ensures the appropriateness of a given qualification for a business.
There is a strong demand for job specific non-accredited training across much of the sector and as a result there is a strong culture of internal training within companies. A number of companies in the sector regularly seek to ‘grow their own’ and develop individuals within the organisation through established progression routes. This is seen as important for retaining individuals and also ensuring that the companies have the right skills and attributes in their workforce.
Opportunities and Challenges
Technological advancements will pose both challenge and opportunity for the sector. There is a need for current and future workforces to be appropriately trained and equipped with the desired skills to see the benefit of these advancements. In line with this there is concern that current infrastructure is poor and connectivity and internet speeds need to be developed to support growth.
The recently published Workforce Renewal and Skills Strategy from Energy and utility Skills details three strategic priorities for the Energy sector, which are;
• To address sector attractiveness and recruitment in the hope of increasing the sectors future talent pool
• To maximise investment in skills specifically through investments made by asset owners and their
supply chain
• To address anticipated skills gaps and shortages through targeted action.38
3.1.2 Primary Research Analysis
Response Profile for Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
20 15 10 5 0
Micro SBCR GMW
Small
Medium
Large
38 http://www.euskills.co.uk/sites/default/files/Workforce%20Renewal%20and%20Skills%20Strategy%20FINAL.pdf
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales Sector Profiles