Dave Hagendyk calls on the next Welsh Government to put skills at the heart of a new national mission of growth, opportunity and fairness.
This week, and for the very first time, Wales will host the finals of the WorldSkillsUK Competition. Learners from the four nations of the UK, all with outstanding vocational and technical skills, will compete against each other for the accolade of being the best in their field and potentially earning an opportunity to represent the UK at the WorldSkills World Final in Shanghai in 2026.
More than 400 competitors – with over a 100 from Wales, mainly learners in colleges – will compete across 47 different competitions in sectors as diverse as aircraft maintenance, welding, 3D Digital Game Art, automotive technology, beauty therapy, culinary arts and CNC Milling.
While elsewhere there is a fair amount of negativity about education in Wales, the story on skills competitions is that we are actually pretty good at this and we punch well above our weight when it comes to medals and national and international performance.
Today, it is our further education sector that is the engine of social mobility and that is providing the route to a stronger economy.
Just getting into the Welsh squad is incredibly competitive and preparation for the finals requires hours and hours of training. Learners compete for a place in the squad from right across the post-16 sector in Wales, although the vast majority of competitors study at further education colleges.
The competitions reflect the incredible talent of young people in Wales and the remarkable impact of further education. To paraphrase Neil Kinnock’s famous Llandudno speech almost forty years ago, our young people don’t lack the talent or the strength, the endurance or the commitment. In the past, they maybe lacked the platform upon which they can stand and the support they needed to unlock their potential and succeed. Today, it is our further education sector that is the engine of social mobility and that is providing the route to a stronger economy. These finals matter; not just as a chance to fly the flag for Wales, they matter, too, because at a time of profound economic and political uncertainty, the Welsh skills system can cast itself as the foundation stone for growth, opportunity and fairness.
This week’s competitions come just days before the Welsh Government’s flagship Investment Summit. This is our chance to show the depth and breadth of our talent to potential new employers and investors and for them to know we have the skills they need to help them compete and thrive. With new investment and sustained reform, Wales can build a global reputation for skills and talent that can help us navigate this new wave of global economic change.
Syniadau uchelgeisiol, awdurdodol a mentrus.
Ymunwch â ni i gyfrannu at wneud Cymru gwell.
We also expect political change to come at the Senedd Elections in May next year. Whoever is in charge of the skills system will inherit a sector with strong foundations. What is needed is a government that is ready to commit fully to new strategic economic and industrial priorities, and that gives colleges the framework and the resources they need to deliver high quality skills and training for young people and for adults right across Wales.
There are huge challenges facing Wales that need an urgent debate between now and the election in May. We know that too many young people are not in education, work or training, that too many school age pupils aren’t in school, and we know that too many adults are working but still unable to pay the bills. The solutions lie in a successful further education sector; in more collaboration with schools to enrich the curriculum and create vocational pathways at 14-19; more non-university pathways to higher skills at Levels 4 and 5, and flexible opportunities for adults to learn at every level.
Colleges pride themselves on being the ‘can do’ sector. Flexibility, responsiveness and an instinct for collaboration are in our DNA.
What is needed is a government that is ready to commit fully to new strategic economic and industrial priorities, and that gives colleges the framework and the resources they need to deliver high quality skills and training for young people and for adults right across Wales.
Give us the right framework and resources, and we will build the platform for young people and adults to succeed. This is why we are calling on the next government to put skills at the heart of a new national mission of growth, opportunity and fairness.
The next government should start with:
- Parity for vocational and technical skills
Give vocational and technical education the same status as academic routes – with a new Vocational Education and Training Strategy and Future Skills Authority to drive Wales towards a high-skill economy.
- Pathways for every young person
Create a 14-19 Learning and Progression Pathway so every learner can access high quality vocational options and take their first step into a rewarding career.
- Apprenticeships for growth
Invest to deliver 125,000 apprenticeships – giving employers the skilled workforce they need and learners the opportunities they deserve.
- Higher skills, local growth
Expand Level 4 and 5 provision in colleges to strengthen alternative routes into higher skills, supporting local and regional economic needs.
- A lifelong learning guarantee
Introduce a universal entitlement to lifelong learning – helping adults to upskill, reskill, and build confidence at any stage of life.
Gofod i drafod, dadlau, ac ymchwilio.
Cefnogwch brif felin drafod annibynnol Cymru.
The UK Skills Finals are a platform to celebrate the great Welsh attributes of talent, hard work and solidarity. Between now and the Senedd Election next year, we need an urgent and full-throated debate about how we give everyone the chance to fulfil their potential and to ensure a future for our country built on growth, fairness and opportunity. Because whatever the make-up of the next government here in Wales, Ministers can forget about higher growth, productivity gains and social mobility unless it commits to a long-term plan for driving up skills. To build a fairer, more prosperous nation, the next Welsh Government must put skills and vocational education at the heart of its mission.
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