Wales should aspire to become one of Europe's leading talent economies, according to Professor Elwen Evans KC, chair of Universities Wales, who argues that developing skills must be a national economic priority.
Writing after attending the Welsh Government Skills Summit in Swansea, Professor Evans highlighted the scale of the challenge facing Wales: participation in higher education among young people is the lowest in the UK and rates continue to fall, even as demand for higher-level skills grows across sectors from healthcare and education to engineering, advanced manufacturing, digital technology and the transition to net zero.
Learning from Emilia-Romagna
Professor Evans pointed to Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy as a striking example of a region that has made a conscious decision to place talent at the centre of regional development. There, universities, colleges, research institutes, businesses and government are part of a connected ecosystem working towards a shared objective of developing, attracting and retaining skilled people.
The region has embedded the attraction and development of highly skilled talent in regional law and created structures that bring together employers, education providers and public authorities to anticipate future workforce needs and align them with economic priorities.
Building on Wales's strengths
Wales already has foundations to build on, including universities rooted in communities across the country, and growing strengths in compound semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, life sciences, creative industries and digital technology. However, Professor Evans said there is not always a sufficiently joined-up approach to bringing these strengths together, with separate conversations about higher education, further education, apprenticeships, research, innovation, economic development and inward investment.
She called for an ambitious vision that moves beyond thinking about skills as a standalone policy area and treats talent as a national priority, recognising the central role universities play in developing the skills and talent the economy relies on.
Pathways and collaboration
The Skills Summit left Professor Evans feeling optimistic, with growing recognition that challenges cannot be solved by any one institution, sector or part of government acting alone. She emphasised the need for clear pathways through education and into employment, ensuring businesses can access the talent they need to grow, and creating opportunities for people to develop skills throughout their careers.
"If Wales wants a stronger economy, it needs a stronger talent base; if we want more innovation, we need more highly skilled people, and if we want greater prosperity, we need a clearer focus on the institutions that help create it," she wrote, concluding that Wales must aspire to become a talent economy that places the development of its people at the heart of its economic strategy.
