A SOUTH WALES employability and skills organisation welcomed Senedd election candidates to get hands on experience of the work being delivered to build the Welsh economy.
Skewen-based Elevate Employment Services welcomed Sioned Williams and Sera Evans to their Neath Port Talbot training headquarters to discuss the actions required to boost the employment prospects of adults and young people in Wales.
The Plaid Cymru candidates were taken on the learner journey by Elevate’s frontline training staff.
This included exploring Elevate’s custom built VR headsets which help construction and hospitality staff to get a real-world experience and boost their work-place confidence.
Founded in September 2025, Elevate Employment Services employs 28 staff and delivers impactful and inclusive employment and education services in South Wales and in parts of England.
This sees them work with job seekers- as well as young people not in education, employment or training- to help them develop their skills and achieve their personal goals.
In particular, Elevate delivers tailored advice and support to help young people back in to education and training across their three Welsh learning centres in Skewen, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil. This includes working collaboratively with Welsh businesses to develop learning materials and courses that meet local needs.
Over the last six months, Elevate has support over 800 participants to build their core skills and gain training and qualifications in order to secure work. Additionally, a further 196 people have been supported to gain key skills and certifications, including their Construction Skills Certificates.
Sioned Williams, lead candidate for Plaid Cymru in the Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd constituency which includes Skewen, said: “It is great to see the important work being delivered here in Skewen.
“It is critical that we see more support for young people to access employment, develop their skills and build confidence so they can enter the workplace.”
Sera Evans, Plaid Cymru’s lead candidate in Afan Ogwr Rhondda which includes Port Talbot, added: “The innovative training offer from Elevate- with their VR headsets and virtual learning tools- is fantastic to see.
“It is critical that we see a safe environment that supports young people and adults to thrive in non-class room settings.”
Ian Ross, Chief Executive Officer of Elevate, added: “We are at the frontline of employment support and reskilling in Wales.
“This not only allows Elevate to tailor our support to the needs of local communities, but also feedback important learner and teaching experiences to those in charge.
“We welcome Plaid Cymru’s commitment to launch a skills audit that will identify the future needs of the Welsh economy, as well as their plans for a Future Skills Summit to help Welsh Government create a strategy for the future of skills delivery.
“Elevate look forward to sharing our experiences, and those of our communities, so Welsh Government can help built the Welsh economy and support people to access rewarding employment.”
