A new pilot project between renewable energy firms and students in Pembrokeshire has been launched as part of the Swansea Bay City Deal in a bid to encourage future local employment in the sector.
The pilot is the first to be approved by the Regional Learning and Skills Partnership (RLSP) which is a part of the £30m City Deal’s Skills and Talent programme in the City Deal.
Starting in September 2022, students between 5 and 19 years old will learn about wave, tidal, solar and offshore wind from Pembrokeshire-based renewable companies including RDF Renewables UK, DP Energy, Blue Gem Wind, Bombora Wave and Ore Catapult.
The scheme - developed with the City Deal's Pembroke Dock Marine project - will identify gaps in current education on the teaching of renewable energy.
A framework will then be produced out of the pilot which can prepare young talent for upcoming local job opportunities in the renewable energy sector where there is expected to be high-demand for workers in the future.
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Pembrokeshire College, Milford Haven Secondary School, Ysgol Harri Tudur, and Pembrokeshire County Council are working with the renewable companies in the pilot.
Councillor Rob Stewart, chairman of the Swansea Bay City Deal’s joint committee, said: “It is great to see the approval of the first Swansea Bay City Deal Skills and Talent pilot scheme and fantastic to see two of our projects working together to create much needed teaching on renewable energy. We hope this pilot scheme in the Milford Haven cluster area will be a successful as we anticipate it will be rolled out to other areas across Pembrokeshire, south west Wales and nationally in the coming years.
“We are certain that this pioneering initiative will ensure that the students will be ready for a job in the renewable energy sector, and by building on our local industry expertise we hope to create a centre of excellence for renewable energy in the Pembrokeshire. It will transform the employment prosperity for the county and more widely for the region and will work alongside other initiatives that will develop the skills of our existing workforce too.”
The £1.3bn Swansea Bay City Deal is made up of nine major programmes across the Swansea Bay City Region, which estimates to be worth over £1.8bn to the region’s economy and create 9,000 jobs.
The £30m Skills and Talent programme is made up of £10m Swansea Bay City Deal investment, £16m public sector investment and £4m private sector funding.
Mr Stewart added: “The Skills and Talent Programme interlinks with all other eight City Deal projects and will help us to grow our region, by retaining our talented students through providing opportunities for them to stay local when they are ready for employment. We are in the process of reviewing other pilot projects proposals and hope to make announcements soon about more exciting initiatives that will help shape our future.”
Councillor Paul Miller, deputy leader and cabinet member for place, the region and climate change at Pembrokeshire County Council said: “As a local authority we are committed to working with our partners to help ensure we provide our young people with the tools that will enable this region to have a highly skilled, engineering, science and technology workforce for the next generation.”
Barry Walters, principal of Pembrokeshire College, said: “We are delighted that the partnership approach between Pembrokeshire County Council, local energy companies and ourselves has been the first project to be approved through the Skills and Talent strand of the Swansea Bay City Deal. We look forward to the implementation of a number of innovative initiatives commencing in September which will raise awareness of renewable energy and help to provide the young people of the county with the skills sets needed for future employment.”
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