Rugby legend backs support for Wales’ future workforce

Welsh training providers, ACT and ALS, hosted an exclusive ‘thank you’ event for employers who have worked with them to provide meaningful placements opportunities for learners and apprentices.

The event, which took place at Ocean Park House in Cardiff, welcomed special guest Jonathan ‘Jiffy’ Davies to discuss all things rugby.

The intimate Q&A session was hosted by BusinessIn Wales editor Daniel Bevan, and allowed business representatives to grill the rugby legend on the latest news and developments in the sport.

While rugby remained the focus of the morning, Jiffy opened discussions with a reflection on his own apprenticeship journey.

Jiffy described his apprenticeship placement as ‘the start of working life’ and shared that ‘without it, I don’t know what would have happened to me’.

He went on to explain that an important aspect of his apprenticeship placement was the social skills it gave him. “It was a leap of faith from school into the world of work, but it taught me how to better communicate and to not be frightened.”

Jiffy ended discussions by imparting his wisdom.

The event was also the official launch of ACT’s Employer Pledge.

The pledge was created in direct response to Wales’ NEET (not in education, employment or training) statistic which currently sits at 12% for 16- to 24-year-olds.

Through the pledge, organisations can commit to offering job placements and work experience to 16 to19-year-olds from its Jobs Growth Wales+ programme.

For employers, it’s a cost-free way to discover new talent, reduce recruitment overheads, and build a pipeline of future employees. It is also a way of providing potentially life-changing experience for young talent who may otherwise be overlooked.

Director at ACT and ALS, Helen Williams, said: “There is a great need for support from employers. This can be in the form of work experience taster sessions, placements, giving talks about your industry or even offering coaching sessions to help young people get ready for interviews.

“Businesses can help mould the future workforce in Wales, not just for the benefit of their operations and the individual learner, but for the health and prosperity of the Welsh economy.”

You can find more about the Employer Pledge here.