Senedd Cymru: Priorities for the Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Deadline for Submissions: 2 September
The ColegauCymru submission identifies three priorities for the Senedd’s Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee, emphasising the central role of skills, apprenticeships and further education in Wales’s economic future.
First, it highlights the need to address youth unemployment and economic inactivity. With 56,800 young people aged 16 to 24 classified as NEET at the end of 2025, giving Wales the highest NEET rate in the UK, the submission calls for an inquiry into barriers to participation, careers guidance, employer engagement and pathways into work.
Second, it stresses the importance of skills in improving productivity, innovation and business growth, recommending scrutiny of skills investment, labour market intelligence, higher-level technical skills and employer-college partnerships.
Third, it argues that Wales must maximise the jobs, skills and supply-chain opportunities arising from net zero and emerging technologies, ensuring investment delivers long-term economic value and high-quality employment. The submission concludes by calling for a sustainable skills system and continued oversight of apprenticeship provision.
Further Information
Jeff Protheroe, Strategic Adviser - Work-based Learning and Employability
Jeff.Protheroe@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
