Businesses are built on talented, well-trained people – now more than ever. So the Venture ‘Rise & Shine’ breakfast event is ‘must-attend’ for any employer and enterprise looking to improve their talent pipeline, nurture skills amongst existing employees – or simply make their business the best ‘people business’ it can be.

Like most other modern economies, a combination of demographic shift, race to zero and fourth industrial revolution presents Cardiff Capital Region with some of the most monumental challenges - and opportunities - witnessed in the field of human capital.

March brought major headlines from FinTech Wales, USW and de Novo Solutions, Women in STEM, Chwarae Teg and City & Guilds

February brought news of a major skills funding boost for Creative Industries in our region, together with two studies showing a surge in apprenticeship uptake and the importance placed by Gen Z on training and development. Those reports made Welsh Water’s record apprenticeship offering look inspired - but celebrations were muted by news of a continued gender pay gap, even in female-dominated industries ...

Today marks the start of National Apprenticeship Week - a celebration of the many different types of apprenticeships on offer to people of all ages and backgrounds. With such a huge variety of learning pathways to explore, we’re spotlighting the Shared Apprenticeships that are proving so successful here in South East Wales …

2023 started on a celebratory note, with 41 finalists revealed for the CIPD Wales Awards. January also brought the sobering news that Wales needs 9,100 more Construction Workers by 2027 - reminding us of both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead ….

2023 promises to be a year of challenge and opportunity for Skills & Talent in South East Wales. The Venture team will be at the heart of it all, working with employers of all sizes and sectors to help them recruit and develop the talent they need - and these are the five defining factors that we see shaping the year ahead …

There was much to celebrate across the CCR skillscape in November, with Coleg Gwent posting a record performance at WorldSkills UK 2022, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board being recognised for its pioneering apprenticeship programme, Educ8 leading the Training Sector as ‘Best Company to Work For’ in the UK, ITEC investing in bespoke mental health support for learners, and the Principality supporting 3,000 pupils to gain vital money management qualifications …

Autumn has brought some heart-warming headlines on the skillscape of South East Wales, featuring the Apprenticeships Awards Cymru 2022, FE Colleges establishing Employment & Enterprise Bureaus, CITB Wales investment extension, 2B Enterprising and Redrow bringing skills to life in Caerleon and Welsh Government commit more to Digital and Green reskilling.

The Venture ‘Talent Leaders Talking’ series gets to the very heart of where we stand in terms of the skillsets, employability, opportunities and potential we have in our region - in this feature, we talk to Grant Santos, Principal/CEO of Educ8 Training, discovering the many dimensions of ‘Where Are We?’ and ‘What’s Next?’ as we move into the fourth industrial age.