Talbot Wharf Skills Academy Showcases Industrial Future and New Opportunities for Young People

A visit to Talbot Wharf on Friday (20 February) highlighted how investment in advanced vocational training is helping secure the future of steelmaking in Port Talbot while opening up high-quality career pathways for young people across Aberavon, the Upper Afan Valley and Maesteg.

David Chadwick MP and local Senedd candidate and educator Dean Ronan, visited JES Group Ltd and its specialist training arm, The Skills Academy, to see how the company is supporting Tata Steel UK’s transition to Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking, a move designed to safeguard long-term steel production while significantly reducing carbon emissions.

Established in 1982, JES Group employs more than 100 skilled staff and remains a key supply-chain partner within the steel industry. Alongside supporting the shift to lower-carbon steelmaking, the company is expanding into renewable energy, hydrogen, carbon capture and major infrastructure projects, positioning Port Talbot Docks as a strategic industrial hub for the future.

At the centre of that ambition is The Skills Academy, created in 2023 and now operating as a centre of excellence for welding, fabrication and pipefitting training. The Academy is Wales’ only TWI Certification Ltd Certified Organisation under the CSWTO scheme, delivering internationally recognised qualifications aligned with modern industry needs.

During the initial visit, the delegation met learners undertaking hands-on training, including young people supported through initiatives such as the Cynnydd project, which has operated across South West Wales to support those at risk of disengaging from education.

Impressed by the Academy’s ability to combine rigorous industrial standards with tailored learner support, Dean Ronan returned later in the week for a dedicated follow-up visit to observe its work with Cynnydd-supported learners in greater depth.

Drawing on his experience as a teacher working with young people in residential care, and his previous background in further education, Mr Ronan explored how this model could inform longer-term thinking around vocational pathways for young people across Aberavon, the Upper Afan Valley and Maesteg.

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Director of JES Group, Justin Johnson, said:

“We were very pleased to welcome David and Dean to Talbot Wharf and to showcase how we are supporting the transition to Electric Arc Furnace steelmaking while preparing for the next phase of South Wales manufacturing. By investing in welding, fabrication and pipefitting, the core industrial ‘black skills’, we are creating well-paid, long-term career opportunities and positioning Port Talbot Docks to play a key role in renewable energy manufacturing, including Floating Offshore Wind.”

David Chadwick MP added:

“The transition to Electric Arc Furnace steelmaking is about securing the long-term future of steel in Port Talbot. What stands out here is that companies like JES are investing not just in infrastructure, but in people. The Skills Academy is equipping learners with the advanced technical skills that will underpin both steel and renewable energy industries.”

Dean Ronan said:

“What struck me during my first visit was the clarity of progression — learners here can see exactly where their skills will take them. That’s why I returned to spend more time looking at how the Academy is engaging young people who may benefit from a more practical, structured learning environment.

When vocational education is delivered to this standard and directly linked to real employment opportunities, it becomes transformational. If we are serious about widening opportunity in Aberavon, the Upper Afan Valley and Maesteg, then high-quality technical pathways must sit alongside academic routes as equal and valued options.”

Dean Ronan, who is standing in the upcoming Senedd elections for the Afan Ogwr Rhondda constituency, said strengthening technical and vocational education must form part of South Wales’ long-term economic strategy.

The visit also highlighted the wider regeneration potential of Port Talbot Docks as South Wales positions itself to capitalise on manufacturing and fabrication opportunities linked to Floating Offshore Wind in the Celtic Sea.

As the steel industry evolves, Talbot Wharf is demonstrating how industrial resilience and skills innovation can work together, protecting jobs, creating opportunity and securing a sustainable future for the wider Port Talbot area.

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