Conference focus on apprenticeships and skills for economic growth

The National Training Federation for Wales (NTFW) is resurrecting its annual conference on the theme ‘Apprenticeships, Skills for Economic Growth in Wales’, in March.

Against a backdrop of the Welsh Government’s controversial proposed cuts to apprenticeship funding, the conference will explore and discuss how apprentices benefit Wales, when delegates meet at the International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales), Newport on March 22.

Keynote speakers will be Rhian Edwards, the Welsh Government’s deputy director of further education and apprenticeships and Philip Blaker, chief executive of Qualifications Wales.

Other speakers will be NTFW strategic director Lisa Mytton, City & Guilds policy, stakeholder and partnerships manager (Nations and Ireland) Angharad Lloyd Beynon and Agored Cymru chief executive Darren Howells. City & Guilds is the headline conference sponsor.

Also featuring an employer panel discussion, the conference will focus on “building tomorrow’s success today”. Delegates will discuss how to unleash potential through apprenticeships, empowering futures, empowering employers and driving economic prosperity.

Workshops include ‘A skills-led economy for Wales: Growing SMEs through skills development’, a topic for Ben Cottam from FSB Wales. ‘Benchmarking through competition activity’ will be the focus for Emma Banfield, project manager for Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales, while ‘Cymraeg 2050 – developing a workforce for a bilingual Wales’ will be covered by Lisa O’Connor, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s academic manager.

Other workshops include ‘Recruitment, retention and professional regulation’ with Hayden Llewellyn, chief executive of Education Workforce Council, ‘The Assessor and their central and key role in the apprentice experience’ with Mark Evans and Jassa Scott from Estyn and ‘Mental health stigma in workplace settings’ with Rachelle Bright from Time to Change Wales (TtCW).

‘Exploring how digital technologies can enhance the learning and assessment experience of apprentices’ will be explored by Dean Seabrook, senior qualifications manager at Qualifications Wales while Rhys Daniels and Michael Webb from Jisc Wales will focus on ‘Navigating the opportunities and challenges of AI’.

“City & Guilds are proud to be the headline sponsor for the National Training Federation for Wales conference, emphasising apprenticeships and skills as catalysts for economic growth. We believe in empowering individuals with the knowledge and expertise to drive prosperity, fostering a future where skills shape a thriving economy.”

Angharad Lloyd Beynon, policy, stakeholder and partnerships manager (Nations and Ireland) from City & Guilds said:

“City & Guilds are proud to be the headline sponsor for the National Training Federation for Wales conference, emphasising apprenticeships and skills as catalysts for economic growth. We believe in empowering individuals with the knowledge and expertise to drive prosperity, fostering a future where skills shape a thriving economy.”

To book tickets, visit here.

The conference will be followed in the evening by the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2024 presentation dinner at the same venue.