A £30million plan to significantly boost skills and qualifications in the Swansea Bay City Region is ready to progress to the project business case stage with Pembrokeshire adding its support to proposals.

Pembrokeshire County Council will have to fund a £515,000 shortfall for its involvement in the ‘skills and talent programme’ as part of the £1.3billion Swansea Bay City Deal.

The programme will receive £10million funding from the city deal, £16million public sector funding and £4million private sector funding over six years is being committed to overcome a lack of well-paid job opportunities, skills shortages, high levels of economic inactivity and outward youth migration.

Jane Lewis, regional partnership manager for the skills project, said that the region has a “higher proportion of individuals with no qualifications” and the programme will help address skills gaps and will be a “cross cutting theme across all other eight projects” in the Swansea Bay City Deal.

Dr Steven Jones, director of community services, said: “This project has the potential to make a significant contribution to Swansea Bay City Deal projects but also the wider regional economy,” adding that many businesses say that a lack of skills and digital infrastructure were the biggest barrier to growth.

The programme’s business case will be submitted next month cabinet heard and is set to deliver 2,200 additional skills with around 14,000 individuals supported in developing higher level skills within ten years, create 3,000 new apprenticeship opportunities as well as creating two to four centres of excellence and clear career pathways.

The Pembrokeshire share of the “shortfall” in funding is not built into the budget, director of resources Jon Haswell told cabinet, and will require further consideration.

Cabinet backed the business case and its formal submission to the portfolio management office in accordance with the City Deal Implementation Plan to secure City Deal funding approval.