Business
Mind the gap: Welsh employers and Gen Z out of sync on skills
New report reveals Wales has the UK’s highest skills shortage – but young people are ready to step up
A MAJOR new report by The Open University has revealed a growing disconnect between Welsh employers and the next generation of workers, potentially undermining efforts to tackle the country’s persistent skills shortages.
The Business Barometer 2025: Skills for today and tomorrow surveyed over 2,000 business leaders and 1,000 Gen Z adults across the UK — including 139 employers and 80 young people under 25 in Wales. It found that 58% of Welsh organisations are currently experiencing a skills shortage — the highest of all UK nations.
Yet despite this, only 31% of those employers have specific initiatives in place to recruit, retain or train under-25s.
Gen Z ready to respond — but need support
Encouragingly, over half (54%) of young people surveyed in Wales are aware of the national skills gap and are actively considering it in their career planning:
- 73% are choosing careers based on areas of high demand
- 66% say they would stay longer with employers who offer training and development
However, the report suggests that this willingness is not being met with sufficient guidance or opportunity — especially in fast-growing areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital, and green skills.
While 58% of Welsh Gen Z respondents say they are interested or already working in AI, one in five Welsh employers report lacking confidence in their ability to deliver AI strategies due to talent shortages.
Call for action on training and inclusion
Dr Scott McKenzie, Assistant Director for Learning, Skills and Innovation at The Open University in Wales, said: “The data is clear: there’s a mismatch between employer intentions and practical action. But there’s also a real opportunity. Welsh organisations can bridge the gap by developing structured skills plans, investing in flexible learning, and opening pathways to a more diverse talent pool. Those who act now will be the ones best placed to thrive in the future.”
Baroness Martha Lane Fox CBE, Chancellor of The Open University, added: “Young people are motivated, digitally savvy and want to contribute. Employers must meet that energy with training pathways and real opportunities. Waiting for skills to arrive is no longer enough — smart organisations will build them proactively.”
Diversity still lagging behind
While 80% of Welsh employers say equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) is important to their organisation, 25% admit to having no initiatives in place for underrepresented groups such as returners, career changers, or people with disabilities and neurodivergences.
This is seen as a missed opportunity to reduce economic inactivity and broaden the talent pipeline — especially in sectors where workforce shortages are most acute.
Skills shortage set to worsen
The Business Barometer, now in its ninth year, shows the issue is far from easing. In Wales:
- 38% of employers expect the skills gap to worsen over the next five years
- 60% say shortages are increasing workloads on existing staff
- 43% report reduced productivity
- 37% have scaled back growth plans
- 20% fear they won’t be able to meet their AI ambitions by 2030
Yet, despite these pressures, only 36% of Welsh employers have a formal skills plan in place. And while training is proven to aid staff retention, 30% say they hesitate to invest in staff development for fear employees will leave.
Full report and recommendations available at: https://business.open.ac.uk/business-barometer
Business
Rosemarket Dawn Till Dusk golf club 18-hole plans lodged
A CALL to extend a long-established Pembrokeshire golf club, bringing it up to a full 18 holes, has been submitted to county planners.
In the application, Mr and Mrs Young, through agent Preseli Planning Ltd, seek a change of use of land adjoining the Dawn Till Dusk Golf Club, Furze Hill Farm, Bastleford Road, Rosemarket, to form an extension to the existing golf course, along with landscaping and associated works.
A supporting statement through the agent says: “The application seeks full planning permission for the enlargement of the existing golf course to provide an additional six holes, to provide a total of 18 holes.
“The proposal would involve minor landscaping works to the fields and boundaries and the creation of a small number of ponds and bunkers. The extension would be located on land to the west of Furze Hill Farm and on the opposite side of the road to the existing golf course and clubhouse.
“An altered access to the land parcel is proposed as part of this application, which would provide an improved route for users crossing the public highway to avoid conflict with movements at the main entrance.
“The application site exceeds 1ha and therefore the proposal is considered major development necessitating a Pre-Application Consultation prior to formally submitting the planning application to the Local Planning Authority.”
It adds: “The existing golf course has operated in excess of 30 years and is popular with both visitors and locals. Club membership currently stands at approximately 350 and there is demand for enhancing the provisions of the course.
“The applicants’ sons have recently increased their involvement in the enterprise and in recent years wet winter months have necessitated the closure of the course, or parts of it, due to the ground becoming waterlogged, primarily due to the flat nature of the existing course.
“The extension would provide variation to the terrain, providing, dryer conditions, as well as the ability to alternate between the existing and proposed to maintain use, enhancing the viability of the enterprise.”
The application will be considered by Pembrokeshire County Council planners at a later date.
Business
Plans to rebuild arson hit building at farm with one of largest sheep flocks in Wales
A CALL to rebuild a fire-damaged Pembrokeshire farm building, as a family home to help manage one of the largest sheep flocks in Wales, has been submitted to the national park.
In the application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, D B Davies and Sons through agent Harries Planning Design Management, with a supporting statement by Reading Agricultural Consultants Ltd, seek permission to renovate an existing fire-damaged dwelling, together with the conversion and extension of outbuildings to form an agricultural worker’s dwelling at Mynydd Du, Rosebush.
The supporting statement through Reading Agricultural Consultants Ltd says Mynydd Du is part of a wider holding which includes Eisteddfa Fawr and land around the village of Brynberian, the farms approximately six km apart, with land under control of the applicant amounting to some 1,500 acres, with a further 3,000 acres of Preseli mountain common land also used; the land accommodating a 5,000-ewe flock with 10 suckler cows and followers.
It says DB Davies & Sons Unlimited, has five partners: the two Davies brothers, Berian and Ken; their wives; and Berian’s son, Dyfed.
Berian and Ken are in their late 70s, with most of the heavy work on the farm is undertaken by Dyfed.
Dyfed and his wife Megan are first language Welsh speakers, living some 10 km away in Nevern, while Berian and Ken, and their wives, live at Eisteddfa Fawr, Brynberian.
The dwelling at Mynydd Du, where most sheep are now wintered, is structurally sound and repairable but has been unoccupied since 1990, and was subject to arson circa 2013, the statement says.
It says Dyfed works full-time on the farm, alone with increasing frequency as the older business members are above retirement age, working “long hours out of necessity to undertake all the work associated with one of the largest flocks of sheep in Wales”.
“His working hours are extended further due to the fact that he lives remote (6kms) from the main block of land at Tyllosg, where Mynydd Du is situated in the centre of the farm. Travelling back and forth several times each day during lambing and other times during poor weather, to check on flock welfare is an arduous task and can be dangerous, particularly if driving when tired during inclement conditions.”
The statement adds: “The application seeks permission to repair the fire damaged dwelling at Mynydd Du and bring it back to serve a useful purpose to enable Dyfed to closely monitor the ewes, not only at lambing, but throughout the year when the flock is grazing on the adjacent common land.
“It will also enable Dyfed to be with his partner and young child on a more regular basis than simply at the end of a long day when he is away from their current home, tending the sheep at Mynydd Du.”
The application will be considered by park planners at a later date.
Business
Herald expands sales team as Milford Haven growth drives demand
THE PEMBROKEHIRE HERALD is launching a recruitment drive to bring in two new sales executives as the newspaper continues to grow its commercial operations across the county.
The move comes as the Herald strengthens its position as the leading independent news platform in West Wales, with increasing demand from local businesses looking to advertise both in print and online.
The expansion is being driven in part by the rapid growth of Milford Haven and the wider energy sector, with major investment in green energy projects, port activity and associated industries creating new opportunities for local businesses.
As the area continues to develop as a key energy hub, more companies are seeking to reach customers, partners and the wider community through trusted local media.
The successful candidates will work directly with Pembrokeshire businesses, helping them promote their services to a growing audience through the Herald’s expanding digital reach and established print readership.
Editor Tom Sinclair said the recruitment reflects both the changing local economy and the Herald’s increasing audience.
He said: “Milford Haven is expanding rapidly, particularly with new energy and green projects coming forward, and that’s creating real opportunities for local businesses.
“At the same time, our audience continues to grow across both our website and social media platforms, meaning we can now offer advertisers a much bigger and more effective platform than ever before.”
The new roles will focus on building relationships with local firms, developing advertising campaigns, and identifying new opportunities across sectors including tourism, retail, trades, energy and professional services.
The Herald has continued to invest in its digital platforms, including Herald.Wales, alongside its well-established print edition, offering advertisers a multi-platform approach to reaching customers.
The recruitment drive also comes at a time when many local businesses are looking for cost-effective ways to promote themselves amid ongoing economic pressures.
Mr Sinclair added: “Local advertising matters. When businesses advertise locally, that money stays in the local economy. It helps create jobs, supports families and helps communities grow alongside the businesses within them.”
The roles are expected to appeal to motivated, target-driven individuals with strong communication skills and an interest in media, sales or marketing.
Both positions are based in Pembrokeshire, with opportunities for training and career progression within the Herald’s growing media group.
Anyone interested in applying is encouraged to email [email protected] with a CV and covering letter before Tuesday (Apr 1, 2026).
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