Launch for 2016 Regional Employment and Skills Plan for South West and Mid Wales

The Regional Learning and Skills Partnership is set to launch the 2016 Regional Employment and Skills Plan for South West and Mid Wales at the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea on the 12th December 2016.
The RLSP are delighted to welcome Julie James, Minister for Skills and Science who will officially be launching the Skills Plan which has been developed to inform and support the Welsh Government’s strategic approach to the delivery of employment and skills in the region.
The morning will highlight the collaborative work that is being undertaken with employers and key partners from across South West and Mid Wales to drive investment in skills and create a strong and vibrant economy. Construction opportunities will be high on the agenda as RLSP partners and local employers will receive an insight into the latest innovative projects in the region including the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon and the Construction Wales Innovation Centre.
Speaking ahead of the event, the Minister said: “Creating more and better jobs in Wales, which are closer to home and aligned to local and regional economic demands and needs are key priorities for this government and we are committed to working with others to drive up skills activity and standards.
“Our ambition in Wales is to stimulate employment and skills activity by encouraging skills providers to link their delivery and funding plans to opportunities created by strategic investments and business growth in their regions and Regional Skills Partnerships are at the centre of the Welsh Skills Policy direction.
“Regional employment and skills plans, produced by each of these partnerships, will drive planning decisions for providers and provide a critical evidence base from which to make future skills investment decisions.
“Over the next five years, the Welsh Government plans to deliver a post-16 learning environment which is fit for purpose and sets Wales ahead of other nations of the UK and internationally. Regional skills delivery is at the heart of this approach and I am pleased to be in Swansea to launch South West and Mid Wales’ regional employment and skills plan.”
The Regional Learning and Skills Partnership for South West and Mid Wales is one of three regional skills partnerships in Wales working to drive investment in skills by developing responses based upon local and regional need. We work across the counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Powys and Swansea taking close consideration of the priorities of the Swansea Bay City Region, Growing Mid Wales Partnership, the Haven Waterway Enterprise Zone and Port Talbot Enterprise Zone.
A primarily employer-led partnership we strive to work across the region bridging the gap between education and regeneration in the hope of creating a strong and vibrant economy underpinned by innovation, growth and a capable workforce.
We produce an annual Regional Employment and Skills plan based on the analysis of the economic challenges and likely growth areas for our region giving indication of the possible skills requirements for the future.