Page 22 - Carmarthenshire Skills Report 2024

Conclusions
Demographics & core industry perceptions amongst younger adults
are working against the Freeport zones, as the region is experiencing
similar skills shortages as Carmarthenshire and the Local Authorities
need to be aware that new innovative ways of developing the labour
market need to be considered because synergy between Local
Authorities on skill delivery will be crucial.
Thinking must change to higher GVA per job (higher productivity)
and thus higher average wages, and less in terms of a growth in the
number of jobs.
Below are the recommendations made to NPT, Pembrokeshire and
Swansea who are all more directly impacted, however there is good
opportunity for Carmarthenshire, therefore the below actions could
also be relevant to the county.
The strong risk is, if action is not taken, imported workers and
products will be relied upon too heavily and the benefits to local
communities will be lost along with the opportunities for industry to
adapt to improved processes and productivity.
Education
✓ Generation Z engagement with STEM, Digital
and high value local opportunities positively
encouraged through pre 16 education.
✓ Level up the gender inequality in key sectors
such as Digital , Construction and Engineering /
Manufacturing, promote these core industries
within pre 16 education
✓ Job and opportunity and core industry
perceptions locally to be improved, retain the
talent locally.
✓ Key messaging to local communities and
through all education levels about vocational
and higher educational pathways. Often too
much emphasis is placed on Higher Education
and less importance on vocational.
✓ Set up Work Experience programmes and
pathways into work – ensure the labour market
is “work ready”
✓ Delivering the right skills at the right time.
Working closely with industry to deliver their
skill succession needs
Industry
✓ Involvement of industry with education
establishments
✓ Encourage / promote High Skill High Pay jobs
to local industry and workers that will provide
higher GVA job roles
✓ Encourage early adoption of new technologies
within the core foundation economic
industries, preparation for potential leakage
and displacement. Upskilling and reskilling the
current workforce at risk of Substitution,
Leakage and Displacement
✓ Reskill / upskill current workforce, long term
unemployed, Ex offenders, Ex MOD etc create
pathways into work
Local Authority, Industry, Education
Collaboration
✓ Understand project lifecycles and have the
correct skills being delivered at the correct time.
✓ Early identification of learning provision gaps,
utilise LMI to identify skills and training needs
and advise education accordingly
✓ Encourage & incentivise employers to reskill
and upskill their teams, take additional learning
via PLA, apprenticeships etc.
✓ Ensure upskilling and reskilling is easily
accessible and not a drain on the business
Actions
22 abp-future-ports-port-talbot-online-final.pdf (abports.co.uk)