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Together let’s “Smash the Skills Shortage”

Published: 21/10/2022

Deeside Business Forum has joined forces with Flintshire County Council and Coleg Cambria to encourage businesses to employ a more diverse workforce, including people with disabilities and mental health needs.

Join them for an event at Coleg Cambria on Friday, 28 October to find out how your business can benefit.

In recent years, the disparity between the skills employers seek and the skills the available workforce has to offer has grown.  It doesn’t have to be this way – come along and find out how to rethink the pathways to employment.

Flintshire’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Social Services and Well-being, Councillor Christine Jones, who will be speaking at the event, along with Flintshire’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Economy, Councillor David Healey, said:

“Flintshire is fully committed to providing quality services for people with learning disabilities or mental health issues, and supported employment is a key priority and we work with a variety of partners to achieve this.  

“Everyone deserves to have the same opportunities – earning a wage, living independently and developing friendships.  I’d encourage any local business owner to come along and find out what exciting opportunities can be found in our area.”

Askar Sheibani, Chairman of Deeside Business Forum and CEO of Comtek Network Systems, said:

“Flintshire is fortunate in being home to some of the most resilient businesses in the UK. Our business community, despite going through one of the worst pandemics, has managed to battle through all the challenges and showcase its innovation and creativity to overcome barriers. 

“Now we are facing severe shortages of skilled workers which is creating a damaging bottleneck for business productivity and growth.  With the energetic support of our great business-friendly Flintshire County Council, Welsh Government and all the brilliant training providers and stakeholders, we have now embarked on a strategy to tackle this economically damaging problem. 

“The Deeside Business Forum has now organised a landmark conference to launch the formation of a Flintshire-based pilot project aimed at finding an effective and sustainable solution to permanently eliminating the lack of locally based skilled people.” 

The event will include the following speakers and topics:

• Lord Barry Jones

• Jack Sargeant MS.

• Coleg Cambria - Apprenticeship and training

• Welsh Government - Disabled People’s Employment Champion.

• Message from the Welsh Economy Minister-Vaughan Gething MS.

• Hft Flintshire (Learning and disability support services) -showcasing some success stories.

• Flintshire County Council - Training and upskilling people with disability and the Flintshire pilot project

• Glyndwr University – Degree Apprenticeship

There will also be an opportunity to speak and network with the local community stakeholders and training providers.

Book your free place today!