Our Focus

Since 2014, the North Wales RSP has been bringing together employers, skills providers and key local stakeholders to better understand and resolve skills mismatches at a local level and regional level. The partnership works to identify current and future regional skills needs and uses this intelligence to ensure the most suitable and relevant provision is available for our future generations!

The main role of the RSP is to address skills shortages by influencing post-16 skills provision in North Wales based on labour market intelligence and employer-led insight. The RSP pools intelligence from across the labour market system, leverages existing networks and provides vital strategic advice, oversight and recommendations to decision-makers.

The RSP forms part of the Welsh Government’s broader approach to regional economic development, including the commitment in the Economic Action Plan to strengthen regional strategic planning. The North Wales RSP also supports the North Wales Growth Deal by working with project partners to scope and understand the skills requirements of the Growth Deal investment. Once these skills are identified, the information is collated and used to lobby providers and Welsh Government for changes in provision.

Our Regional Skills and Employment Plan

Following an ask to the RSP from Welsh Government in 2019 to take a more strategic, long-term view of the skills system in the region, the RSP are now on their second iteration of a three-year Skills and Employment plan. The aim of the 2023-2025 Skills and Employment Plan is to get the North Wales skills system working harder and smarter to meet jobs, now and in the future. Underpinning our Skills and Employment Plan is the North Wales Skills Blueprint, highlighting 3 priorities that are required to support the skills and employment landscape over the next 3 years. The priorities were drawn together through extensive evidence base on regional needs, consultation feedback from a wide range of employers, providers and key stakeholders.

The RSP's priorities for 2023 - 2025 are:

• Enabling and Empowering Employers
• Enabling and Empowering Individuals
• How Support is Provided and Making the Connections

Work-based Learning Provider Group – Brings together work-based learning providers from across the region to collectively develop solutions to meet provision challenges and issue arising. It focuses on the strategic direction of travel for current and future work-based learning provision and delivery within the context of Welsh Government skills priorities and the labour market.

Employability Working Group - Overall, the group plays a crucial role in driving collective efforts to enhance employability outcomes by fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and advocacy. It also serves as a platform for sharing information, research, and best practices related to employability.

Construction Employer Cluster Group - Specific objectives are to support employers and to have a clear voice to ensure that the employer needs can shape the provision and progression pathways for skills development, education, and training in construction jobs. The group also aims to help diversify entrants into the sector, including increasing the number of women in construction.

Digital Skills Employer Cluster Group - brings together employers of all sizes, from all sectors, from across the region to share their challenges, opportunities, and best practice. Forms part of the wider network associated with the Digital Dozen, a smaller group of employers who come together to set the priorities and actions for the network.

Public Sector Employer Cluster Group - The group brings together public sector employers across the region to support employer demand for growth via higher level skills and to deliver key messages to inform and influence our regional providers to respond with appropriate provision.