How to find skilled labour in Wales
Successful businesses need the right people – talented, loyal, and enthusiastic. In Wales, you’ll find a workforce with these qualities in abundance, offering the potential to help you develop new ideas, new products and new markets.
With a high quality of life and relatively low cost of living, Wales has the power to attract and retain the most sought-after people. And our world-class universities ensure there’s a supply of talent with the skills that matter to you.
In the sections below, we explain why Wales is the ideal place for your business and show you how to find qualified workers by recruiting from the wealth of talent Wales has to offer.
How Wales prepares the workforce of the future
In Wales, we understand the vital importance of preparing for the future. That’s why our universities and colleges work so closely with industry and business to understand their needs and develop the right skills to help companies thrive and grow.
We live in a time defined by key challenges – and opportunities. Automation, decarbonisation and digitalisation mean we have to develop new skills and blend them with long-established wisdom and experience.
That’s happening right now in Wales – just one of the reasons to consider Wales as the location for your business.
Offering Education and Training
Wales’ eight universities and 13 further education colleges draw students from around the world – attracted by a culture of excellence in teaching and research.
Our oldest university dates back more than 200 years, and since then our institutions have focused on helping students develop the skills they need to succeed.
They work closely with industry to ensure graduates enter the workforce with the ability and knowledge to make a vital contribution to their employers’ success.
Businesses in Wales are also well placed to tap into the UK’s pool of more than 14 million graduates – a valuable resource right on your doorstep.
Investing in Research & Development
Our universities are also a hotbed of cutting-edge research – developing new knowledge and unlocking future technologies.
They work closely with businesses to lead the drive towards major breakthroughs in fields ranging from brain imaging to ocean science, fintech to cyber security, aerospace to automotive engineering.
We’re now investing in the next generation of research talent, through our innovative Sêr Cymru programme, part of our mission to develop and support the highest calibre researchers in Wales.
Supporting Net Zero Skills
Wales is growing a skilled workforce that will support the Government’s net zero commitments and help businesses to flourish into the future.
We are working with businesses, universities and others to build a shared understanding of net zero skills and create opportunities to grow these skills, which will become increasingly important across the whole economy.
This involves developing high-value jobs to meet our net zero commitments and benefit businesses in a rapidly changing economy.
In some cases, this means supporting people moving from other jobs and harnessing their transferrable skills with options to upskill or gain specific net zero qualifications in existing or emerging industries.
And we are supporting businesses to grow their skills base so they can reach future markets and respond to a fast-changing economy and net zero requirements, while reducing energy costs and saving money.
How to find qualified employees in Wales
Wales offers a rich source of talented and skilled people, with a high percentage of university graduates ready to help your business thrive.
To help assess your needs and find employees with the right skills and qualifications, there are online job portals to explore, job fairs to attend, and agencies keen to help.
You’ll find Wales can provide the talent, skills and experience you need, whether in fintech or marine energy, life sciences or cyber security, or any of our other key sectors.
As a business location, it’s hard to beat – an integral part of the UK market, with a high quality of life and relatively low costs, it also offers everything you need for recruiting skilled workers.
Supportive Government Initiatives
If you’re expanding your business in Wales, the Welsh Government is here to help you find skilled workers and secure funding through a range of programmes and support.
When you recruit someone through our ReAct+ programme, we will help you pay their wages for the first year.
And through Careers Wales, we can help you find the people you need and support you in establishing and building links with schools in your area.
You can find out more about the range of support through Business Wales.