SCAPE’s Roundtable: Driving Sustainable Growth in Wales by Building a Skilled Workforce for the Green Agenda

The roundtable, chaired by Caroline Compton-James, Deputy Chief Executive at SCAPE, brought together leaders from Cardiff Capital Region, Cardiff Capital Region Energy, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Caerphilly County Borough Council, Monmouth County Council, Newport City Council, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and industry representatives from Morgan Sindall Construction and Willmott Dixon.

The discussion centred on how Wales can leverage large-scale infrastructure, transport, and energy projects to foster sustainable growth. With a focus on addressing workforce shortages and enhancing collaboration, the group outlined key strategies to ensure a skilled workforce and a sustainable future in line with the green agenda.

A major theme that emerged was the urgent need for a skilled workforce to support Wales' green energy agenda. Projects such as the Aberthaw Power Station and solar panel installations at Cardiff Airport highlight the growing demand for skilled workers in "green jobs," but the current workforce cannot meet these needs.

To tackle this, the Welsh Government has launched a mapping exercise to pinpoint areas where resources are most required. Roundtable participants highlighted that the green energy sector could create 25,000 jobs in the next decade. However, closing the skills gap will require collaboration, forward planning and substantial investment in skills development.

Participants stressed that local authority leaders have the potential to drive real change through upskilling initiatives. One local authority shared its success in nurturing local talent, enabling the delivery of major capital projects while boosting employment. Existing programmes like Regional Skills Partnerships were praised for addressing regional needs, but participants agreed that greater visibility of project pipelines is necessary to better prepare the workforce for future opportunities. Proposals such as shared apprenticeships were suggested to help address pipeline uncertainty, support ongoing training, and create permanent employment opportunities for local workers.

Education also emerged as a critical area for intervention. Participants agreed that upskilling must begin early. Aligning school curricula with industry needs, particularly through expanded STEM initiatives, will be essential to maintaining the momentum of Wales' major project delivery.

Major regeneration projects bring significant benefits, including attracting people to cities and regions. However, roundtable participants acknowledged the increasing pressure on local authorities to deliver more with fewer resources. Beyond skills development and collaboration, the discussion explored ways to ease these pressures and scale up delivery.

One proposed solution is to offer Welsh local authorities greater flexibility in procurement processes. Allowing authorities to explore alternative procurement routes would facilitate early contractor engagement, which can expedite project delivery.

To achieve sustainable growth, participants also suggested reinstating funding officers to help local authorities maximise Welsh Government funding options. With dedicated officers, authorities could more effectively secure long-term investments in their regions.

Opportunities can be created by neighbouring authorities working together and recognising shared supply chains, agreed the Panel. Regular workshops between authorities, for instance, would allow all parties to map out objectives and identify pinch points from the start. By sharing knowledge and resource, this would also significantly support smaller local authorities who have limited resources.

Despite the challenges, the roundtable concluded with cautious optimism. By addressing the skills gap, fostering collaboration, and implementing solutions like flexible procurement and better access to funding, Wales is well-placed to build a sustainable, skilled workforce capable of meeting the green agenda’s demands.

SCAPE thanks all participants for their valuable insights and enthusiasm. Together, we are paving the way for a greener, more sustainable future for Wales.