Further action to meet the goals set out in the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) City Deal was announced today by South East Wales Learning, Skills and Innovation Partnership (LSkIP) Employment and Skills Board at Skills Cymru.
This morning Julie James, AM, Minister for Skills and Finance, on behalf of LSkIP, officially launched the Regional Employment and Skills Plan and delivered a keynote address in which she outlined how the scheme will deliver on the CCR City Deal’s mandate including the priorities and challenges that lay ahead.
The South East Wales LSkIP is one of three regional skills partnerships across Wales, committed to a vision to develop the social and economic potential of South East Wales, driving clear priorities for skills investment and delivery that support people and businesses to deliver a high-performing prosperous region that stimulates and can respond to inward investment.
The South East Wales Employment and Skills Plan is a catalyst for strategic and collaborative action amongst all stakeholders from across education, industry, funders and policy makers, to define a regional skills agenda, with associated investment, that supports employment, is aligned to the regional economy and enables economic growth.
Over its lifetime, the City Deal, which includes Cardiff, The Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Bridgend, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Newport, is expected to deliver up to 25,000 new jobs and leverage an additional £4 billion of private sector investment across the region.
Newport City Council Leader Cllr Debbie Wilcox, co-lead of the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal’s works, skills and economy portfolio, said: “I believe that education and skills play a key role in supporting economic growth. I am pleased to see the launch of this plan, and the role it has to play in supporting the City Deal’s intention to deliver a vibrant region.”
