CBI Wales Urges Collaboration in Redesigning Apprenticeship System to Meet Emerging Skills Demands

CBI Wales Urges Collaboration in Redesigning Apprenticeship System to Meet Emerging Skills Demands

(IN BRIEF) CBI Wales has called for businesses to play a central role in co-designing Wales’ devolved apprenticeships program to better equip employees with the skills necessary for sectors like AI, green growth, and advanced manufacturing. Their new briefing paper advocates for a more targeted approach to apprenticeships, especially in STEM fields, and emphasizes the need for greater flexibility and administrative efficiency to address emerging skills shortages.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 21-Feb-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — CBI Wales is urging a more collaborative approach to shaping Wales’ devolved apprenticeships program, emphasizing the critical need for businesses to be directly involved in its design. In a recent briefing paper titled ‘The Business of Apprenticeships,’ CBI Wales stresses that a refreshed apprenticeship system is essential for ensuring that the workforce is equipped with the skills required to tap into emerging opportunities in sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), green growth, and advanced manufacturing.

The paper proposes expanding Wales’ apprenticeship offerings with a particular focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, as well as higher education apprenticeships, to help address skills shortages in critical areas like data analysis and AI. This approach would not only help prepare the workforce for the challenges of the future but also ensure that businesses remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global economy.

While the Welsh Government is rightly focused on promoting employer-led programs and prioritizing sustainability and digital skills, businesses have expressed a need for greater flexibility in the system. They advocate for modular courses that can quickly adapt to the fast-changing needs of the market. By modernizing apprenticeship frameworks, CBI Wales believes both businesses and the government can save valuable time and resources, while better supporting students, employers, and training providers alike.

Russell Greenslade, Director of CBI Wales, highlighted the importance of these recommendations: “In an era of rapid change, it is crucial that businesses, the Welsh Government, and educational institutions work together to ensure the workforce is equipped with the skills necessary to drive sustainable economic growth in Wales. Apprenticeships deliver a significant return on investment—£18 to the economy for every £1 spent—and removing barriers to employer investment is key to scaling this success.”

Greenslade continued, “The Welsh Government’s focus on employer-led pathways and emerging skills like sustainability and data analysis is the right approach. However, the ongoing skills and labor shortages remain a significant barrier to economic growth. A modernized apprenticeship system will benefit people, employers, and communities across Wales, addressing the skills gap and creating a more agile workforce for the future.”

The briefing also outlines several key findings and recommendations aimed at enhancing Wales’ apprenticeship system:

• Providing greater clarity around apprenticeship funding could unlock new opportunities.
• Allowing more flexibility within the Apprenticeship Levy for employers would encourage higher apprenticeship participation and better support supply chains.
• Achieving greater consistency with apprenticeship systems across the UK would enhance employee mobility.
• Increased transparency in Welsh Government spending would build trust in the system.
• Offering more flexible apprenticeship frameworks could encourage broader business participation.
• Expanding the range of available apprenticeships would better align with the fast-paced evolution of business needs.
• The introduction of more sector-specific apprenticeship programs would close existing training gaps.

Ultimately, CBI Wales argues that by modernizing and expanding the apprenticeship system, Wales can cultivate a skilled, productive workforce capable of meeting the demands of a future-driven economy.

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SOURCE: CBI