Dear Chair and Committee Clerks,

I am writing to share with you a new report from the Royal Society of Chemistry that will hopefully be of interest to the work of the Children, Young People, and Education Committee.

The “Future Workforce and Educational Pathways” report has been two years in development and sets out clearly defined recommendations for developing skills to support the sector across school, further and higher education, and throughout careers, to ensure the chemical sciences can reach their potential and deliver growth for the Welsh and wider UK economy.

Chemistry represents an area of strong growth for Wales and the UK, with jobs in the sector expected to grow by 6.5% over the next decade – which means outstripping the wider economy by 30%. However, these growth projections could well be undermined if there are not the skilled individuals to fill these new jobs.

That means reassessing the current chemistry employment ecosystem, from school curriculums to the options available in further and higher education, right up to continuous professional development for those in the workforce already. It also means placing greater emphasis on skills that employers want, such as green skills, digital skills and transferrable skills, as well as the technical knowledge one typically associates with the chemical sciences.

Our new report outlines recommendations and actions for policymakers nationally and locally, employers, education authorities, further and higher education institutions, and beyond, taking a holistic approach to tackling potential skills shortages and ensuring we all play our part in supporting the chemical sciences sector to be a key driver of the future economy.

The report is attached or can be found here. We would welcome any opportunity to engage the Committee on the report, particularly as Wales continues its education reform journey.

Best wishes

Niall