Page 71 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan

3.8 Mid Wales Industry Cluster Group
Recruitment and Retention
Rurality is a severe issue for businesses operating within Mid Wales. This exacerbates difficulties in the recruitment and retention of desired staff with distance to travel to work becoming a barrier for some. Connectivity and the ICT infrastructure in the area poses further issues and is seen to be detrimental to the attraction of both skilled people and key employers to the area.
Many employers reported difficulties in recruiting staff for specific roles with the perceptions of key employment sectors being cited as a contributory factor to this. These difficulties in recruitment have resulted in some companies having to source labour from across the border as the desired candidates simply cannot be sourced locally.
Some employers reported having had negative experiences of WG schemes directly linked to Apprenticeships and others such as Jobs Growth Wales. This of course worsens the difficulties faced by both individuals looking for opportunities and businesses looking for employees. With the reported limitations in the curriculum offer across the area such schemes are invaluable in providing opportunities, it is essential therefore that they meet the needs of all concerned.
Suitability of Skills Provision
Significant concern was expressed about the availability and offer of courses in Mid Wales. This is resulting in learners having to travel significant distances (sometimes across the border) to acquire the skills that they desire and need. This is both an issue for learners that have not entered employment as of yet and for those individuals who are already in work requiring further training. The movement of these learners exacerbates the trend of ‘brain-drain’ from the area.
A specific example of this is the movement of learners from Mid Wales to Hereford and Ludlow colleges. For example, these colleges offer provision in Farriery and Forestry which are both subject areas currently not offered in Mid Wales.
Specific examples of gaps in provision cited include;
• Catering courses offered are out of date and therefore not fit for purpose
• There is no provision offered for aspiring Architects with learners having to study in Swansea, Cardiff or
Birmingham.
• The nearest Forestry course offered is delivered in Bangor however Mid Wales has a substantial demand
for these skills.
These limitations within the offer are resulting in businesses having to ‘take a chance’ on prospective employees that may not necessarily possess the exact desired skills for the role. It is becoming common-place that those with similar skill sets are being sought and the outstanding skills are then acquired through internal training at the employers’ expense. This is easier for larger companies to undertake but can be more problematic for SME’s, there is therefore a greater demand from SME’s that individuals are ‘work-ready’.
The work-readiness of new entrants has been reported as an issue for some employers. This can be linked to what employers feel is the ever- increasing non-practical nature of some vocational courses offered. The lack of practical experience gained result in much of the courses becoming less and less applicable to working life.
Furthermore, the essential skills elements of some courses offered have become a significant barrier to potential learners. This is true for both new entrants and those looking to return to learning.
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Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales Sector Profiles