The Welsh Government is providing £4.5 million to develop the
skills-base of businesses and create a Welsh workforce ready to
capitalise on future economic opportunities, Economy Minister
has announced today.
The Flexible Skills Programme (FSP), which started in 2015,
provides targeted skills interventions alongside existing
programmes, or where Welsh Government support is required for a
specific business project.
The programme operates on a co-investment basis which means
employers have to match fund Welsh Government support; this will
see a total of £9 million invested in the Welsh economy.
The programme is being funded for a further three years. It
operates across Wales and is open to all employers across two
streams:
- The Business Development stream supports significant
employer-led projects which have a focus on upskilling the
workforce. Airbus Broughton is leading the decarbonisation of the
aerospace sector with support from this strand. The Airbus ZEROe
programme will build the world’s first emissions-free airliner by
2035. This move to green aircraft design and manufacture requires
employees to develop the new green skills the economy of the
future will require.
- The Partnership Project stream aims to drive Wales’ wider
skills economy by enabling a group of employers or representative
bodies to help Wales overcome a skills challenge or develop the
skills needed to drive future economic development. Five
partnership projects approved in the last year included the
development of projects for the tourism and hospitality,
engineering and manufacturing, creative industry, digital and
exporting sectors.
The FSP benefits employees by helping them develop more technical
and transferrable skills as a result of Welsh Government
investment. This supports the Welsh Government’s ambition for
reducing in-work poverty by raising the skill sets of the current
workforce in Wales.
Economy Minister said:
Supporting Welsh businesses to adapt, grow their workforce and
develop skills is essential to our ambitions for a more
prosperous Welsh economy post-pandemic.
We have set out a clear vision for a fairer and more equal Wales,
where we work to ensure nobody is left behind or held back, and
with a commitment to changing people's lives for the better.
The programme supports our Plan for Employability and Skills and
further drives workforce diversity, making the most of our talent
in Wales, and shaping an economy that works for everyone.
The coronavirus pandemic has shown us the importance of being
flexible and resilient in the face of immensely challenging
situations. This important programme will also help future proof
our talented Welsh workforce.
