17 June 2026
Call for support for young people to grow the Welsh economy
Skills leaders from across Wales met shortly before the Welsh Government’s skills reform announcement as part of a sector forum convened by Business News Wales to discuss future workforce needs. Participants called for a more joined‑up approach to planning and delivering skills provision, highlighting the need for clearer system leadership, long‑term investment and stronger collaboration between government, employers and providers.
The forum identified rising demand for skills in digital, engineering, health, advanced manufacturing and green industries, stressing that coordinated planning is essential to help learners progress, support employer recruitment and ensure young people can access high‑quality pathways into work.
Leaders also pointed to opportunities created by the evolving post‑16 landscape, including Medr and the Tertiary Education and Research Act, which aim to bring greater coherence across colleges, training providers and universities. Multi‑year funding certainty, better data sharing and closer partnership working were seen as key enablers.
Taken together with the Welsh Government’s wider reform agenda, the forum’s call for joined‑up action reflects a growing recognition that skills, careers guidance and workforce development must be aligned to support young people and drive Wales’s economic ambitions.
Read more about the call for more joined-up support.
The forum identified rising demand for skills in digital, engineering, health, advanced manufacturing and green industries, stressing that coordinated planning is essential to help learners progress, support employer recruitment and ensure young people can access high‑quality pathways into work.
Leaders also pointed to opportunities created by the evolving post‑16 landscape, including Medr and the Tertiary Education and Research Act, which aim to bring greater coherence across colleges, training providers and universities. Multi‑year funding certainty, better data sharing and closer partnership working were seen as key enablers.
Taken together with the Welsh Government’s wider reform agenda, the forum’s call for joined‑up action reflects a growing recognition that skills, careers guidance and workforce development must be aligned to support young people and drive Wales’s economic ambitions.
Read more about the call for more joined-up support.
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