Ministers meet businesses to discuss the role of skills in developing the green business environment

The relationship between business, Higher Education, Further Education and education training providers and the role that green skills can play in regenerating the Welsh economy was the focus today (26 January 2011) when the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning and the Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills met with members of Business in the Community’s Green Business Skills Forum.

The Green Business Skills Forum is seeking to maximise sustainable job growth related to the Welsh Assembly Government’s green agenda, specifically looking at the green skills in the Heads of the Valleys. 

“It is encouraging that private sector businesses are committing to our green skills agenda and actively looking for ways to improve links with the education sector to create long-term skilled jobs.

“It is vital that we make the most of the talent we have here in Wales and provide the necessary training to develop the skills needed to make the most of emerging green technologies.”

Members of the Forum, including UES, Rockwool, Eaga, British Gas and SSE met to inform the Ministers of how business engagement with government and education sectors on the green agenda can provide the link between aspirations and real jobs for the people of Wales.  The Forum highlighted to the Ministers how research undertaken shows that, providing the right skills are available at the right time, a minimum 1600 sustainable jobs can be created on a local basis in the Heads of the Valleys and a further 1700 green jobs created if a green economy is properly established.

Forum members, who represent leading private sector businesses, demonstrated this to the Ministers using examples from their own research. It was highlighted how, in some cases, businesses have to import skills for work in the Heads of the Valleys – resulting in lost opportunities for regeneration and the creation of a green skilled workforce.  The aspiration is that through engagement with the Green Business Skills Forum there will be an opportunity to share research and continue to identify market trends so that education and skills delivery are ahead of the curve in Wales.

Following the meeting Sharanne Basham Pyke, seconded from BT and leading the Green Business Skills Forum for Business in the Community, commented:

“It’s been a very positive experience to bring together partners across business, government, education and the third sector who all share a commitment and passion to re-stimulating the economy in the Heads of the Valleys as well as maximising the benefits to wider society and business. There is significant potential to increase engagement between industry and the education sector, and some of the initial research undertaken has created powerful links between members of the Green Business Skills Forum and local training providers, schools, colleges and universities.

Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning, Leighton Andrews, added that the meeting had been an excellent opportunity to engage with private sector business in supporting the green skills agenda.  He noted:

“It is encouraging that private sector businesses are committing to our green skills agenda and actively looking for ways to improve links with the education sector to create long-term skilled jobs.

“It is vital that we make the most of the talent we have here in Wales and provide the necessary training to develop the skills needed to make the most of emerging green technologies.”

The Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills, Lesley Griffiths, welcomed the opportunity to learn about the research produced by the Forum and thanked employers who invested their time.

“Investment in skills remains a key priority for the Welsh Assembly Government as part of our Economic Renewal Programme. It is essential our workforce is equipped with skills that businesses need in order to grow and thrive.

“Our continued investment in sustainable development, alongside the overall green agenda, will continue to create new job prospects and we need to ensure that individuals and businesses have access to skills training in order to benefit from these opportunities.”

The Forum will now reflect on today’s discussions and take forward the opportunities to work more closely with Government on reducing the skills gap as well as in developing the green skills opportunities across Wales. 

The Green Business Skill Forum has been in operation since March 2010 and brings together more than 30 businesses that are working in the Head of the Valleys area across a variety of sectors.