Employers in Wales say they need us to be more skilled in understanding customer needs, communicating, showing initiative and working in teams. They also need people who can follow instructions but be adaptable when necessary.
And, more than anything else, over the next three years, our employers say they need us to boost our computer skills and become better at organising our own learning.
These were among the findings announced today (October 23) from the largest and most comprehensive survey to date of the skills Welsh people currently possess and those businesses say they need, both now and in the future.
A total of 6,000 individuals and 6,000 businesses underwent in-depth interviews over the past few months for the Future Skills Wales 2003 survey of "generic" skills. These are the general skills and attributes people need to work across a wide range of occupations.
The results form the first part of a major research project that will provide the most complete picture of skills supply and demand yet achieved in any part of Europe. Wales took the lead with its trailblazing Future Skills report in 1998 and since then other parts of the UK and Europe have followed suit.
The 2003 survey report was launched today by First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM at the high profile Sgiliau Cymru conference in Newport where senior business people and learning representatives had gathered to discuss how Wales can create the competitive workforce it needs for the future.
The project was organised by a broad-based partnership including the Welsh Assembly Government, National Council - ELWa, the Welsh Development Agency, the Welsh Local Government Association, the Sector Skills Development Agency, Jobcentre Plus and Careers Wales.
Follow-up reports will forecast the kind of jobs likely to be created in Wales over the next decade and show people which skills are likely to be most valuable to them as they develop their careers.
Findings from the research are designed to help businesses, public sector planners and providers of learning to ensure that the Welsh population builds up the skills that are most needed in order to achieve future prosperity. Results from the last such survey in 1998 led to the creation of a range of new training courses and new techniques for advising people on career opportunities.
When asked which skills they felt were most important across all occupations employers gave as their top six: understanding customer needs, communication, ability to follow instructions, showing initiative, teamwork and adaptability.
The areas in which they believed the greatest increase in skill levels would be needed over the next three years were IT, management skills, organising own learning and leadership skills.
Today's results revealed much good news for Wales, along with a range of major challenges for individuals and policy-makers.
On the plus side:
The report revealed many challenges for Wales including findings such as:
In addition to information on generic skills the new report forecasts the type of jobs likely to increase in number over the next few years. These included jobs in health, leisure, media & culture, business services and public administration.
Richard Keveren, speaking on behalf of the Future Skills Wales partnership said: "This survey gives us extremely valuable information. When compared with job forecasts to be published shortly, it will give us the most complete picture we have ever had about the way the Welsh labour market is developing.
"Information from the last Future Skills Wales project five years ago has been very helpful in planning the learning we provide in Wales and in advising people on which skills are going to be of most value to them in the jobs market. Building on that experience, and gathering additional information this time around, we expect to benefit even more."
He acknowledged the challenges faced by Wales, which still has a higher than average proportion of people without qualifications. "We also face the challenge to find ways of giving young people in the education system the generic skills that employers say the need most," he added.
"However the report gives us a lot of encouragement. The fall in the proportion of hard-to-fill vacancies I believe is due in part at least to progress made on the skills development front. We also see a very positive attitude towards learning across the Welsh population.".
