Inspiring Skills

Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales prides itself for supporting young people across Wales to achieve excellence. We do this by supporting vocational learning through Skills Competitions and the Have a Go initiative, to help encourage young people to excel in the world of work. The project, secured by the Skills Ambassador Network (SAN) in 2014, is a Welsh Government funded initiative led by Coleg Sir Gar. The SAN, was established in 2011, and consists of a dedicated network of colleges, work-based learning providers and employer-led organisations. Its primary focus, in 2014, was to develop vocational excellence, and encourage and enable greater participation in Skills Competitions by widening the knowledge and expertise across the education and training sector. We recognise that Skills competitions specifically enable young people to achieve their full potential whilst raising their skills levels to meet employer needs. They can drive productivity and prosperity in our economy and create more resilient communities. Investment in skills is an investment in the future of our country, our businesses and our people. The success of the ISEiW project saw the initiative expand in 2016 to delivering what it is today. The project spans across three platforms; Have a Go, Skills Competition Wales and WorldSkills UK Wales, and inspires and elevates young people to achieve excellence. The project provides young people in Wales with improved employability skills and life changing opportunities, with employers benefiting from an additional competitive edge – through the employment of highly skilled individuals bringing proficiency, added value to their businesses and contributing to the prosperity for Wales as a whole. The project establishes a culture across colleges and training providers that delivers more than simply qualifications – it develops world class skills, with experiences that build the confidence and life skills of individuals. A joined up approach to sharing of good practices and expertise is a priority, contributing to raising the standards of teaching and learning across Wales and embedding Skills Competitions as a method of assessing the quality of provision. Through capitalising on the creation of a Team Wales ethos we drive to raise standards and support the creation of a larger pool of highly talented individuals.