A housing association has welcomed a report into the foundational economy in Wales.
The Senedd’s Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee invited organisations from various sectors to provide written and face to face evidence as part of an inquiry. The sessions heard examples of best practice from organisations and feedback on Welsh Government’s policy and approach to developing the economy.
The foundational economy is built from the activities which provide the essential goods and services for everyday life. These include, for example, infrastructures; utilities; food processing; retailing and distribution; and health, education and welfare.
During the session, Iwan Trefor Jones, Adra’s Chief Executive, spoke of the need for the long term economic strategy for Wales to provide a greater focus on the foundational economy and offer clarity for sectors such as housing and decarbonisation.
The work of Tŷ Gwyrddfai, the flagship decarbonisation hub the housing association set up in partnership with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and Bangor University was highlighted during the evidence session.
The inquiry’s report recognises that the hub upskills the local supply chain including Adra’s in-house repairs and maintenance team with the latest green skills, supporting retrofit programmes by the Welsh and UK governments. The report highlights that over 800 tradespeople have been trained at the hub.
The report also highlights Adra’s commitment to sustainability through initiatives like Ffrâm24, an all Wales framework for supplying building materials and associated products. This initiative supports local economies, with 79.5% of suppliers based in Wales.
Academi Adra, and initiative set up to provide skills, employment and training opportunities for tenants is also highlighted in the report. Since it was established in 2022, over 150 training opportunities have been funded, 50 work placements delivered and over 30 jobs created to date.
Another initiative included in the report is Tendra, a project funded by Arfor to support local businesses to bid for contracts, as well as offering training on procurement, social value, accreditations, health and safety and job pricing.
Iwan Trefor Jones said:
“It was an honour to give evidence before the Committee and to share our thoughts on developing the foundational economy, which employs around 40% of the Welsh workforce.
“During the session, I called for a co-ordinated approach to support small and medium sized businesses – the backbone of Welsh communities. We need to strike the right balance between high growth and high-tech sectors and the foundational economy sectors in Wales. They are all equally as important and have a direct impact on the lives of a significant percentage of the population.
“A great amount of work is already going on in social housing, with policies such as the drive for 20,000 new social homes and the Welsh Housing Quality Standards contributing to the growth of the sector and its supply chains.
“Initiatives such as Tŷ Gwyrddfai, our flagship decarbonisation hub in Penygroes which we’ve developed with our partners Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and Bangor University is a prime example of successful collaboration between government and private investment. We are also proud of our Academi Adra programme which offers opportunities to develop skills and access training and apprenticeship opportunities.”
