G8, which brings together representatives from Guernsey’s business and charity sectors, has expressed support for Guernsey Institute’s new Adult Skills Strategy.
The strategy outlines plans to strengthen workforce skills and improve access to training across the Island.
The G8’s pre-election Voice of Guernsey Business Survey highlighted persistent concerns around skills gaps, confirming that a skilled, adaptable and resilient workforce will be a determining factor in the island’s long-term economic success. The Guernsey Institute Adult Skills Strategy directly responds to these concerns, placing adult learning at the heart of Guernsey’s social and economic future.
Alongside its support for the strategy, the G8 has also announced the formation of a new Adult Skills Board, which will provide strategic oversight of Adult Skills programmes delivered through the Institute’s Adults Skills Strategy. The Board will work in partnership with government, employers and training providers to identify priority areas for development aligned with industry need, strengthen collaboration across sectors and ensure skills investment delivers real impact for the island’s economy.
Guernsey is facing significant human capital challenges, from persistent recruitment pressures and rapid digital transformation to basic skills gaps and the impacts of an ageing workforce. The new strategy responds directly to these challenges, reframing them not as barriers, but as opportunities for innovation, productivity and long-term resilience.
The Guernsey Institute describes the framework as ‘a forward-looking strategy built around three key priorities, designed to meet the needs of both employers and islanders.’ These focus on upskilling for economic resilience by investing in technical, digital and professional skills that support the Island’s key industries and emerging sectors; improving core skills and inclusion by expanding access to learning and strengthening essential literacy, numeracy and digital skills; and creating clear, supported career pathways to help people understand opportunities, retrain for new roles and progress at every stage of their careers.
A central feature of the strategy is the Guernsey 4+4 Framework, which identifies four priority sectors for economic growth and four stability sectors essential to the island’s continued social and business resilience. This framework will guide future investment, training provision and support long-term workforce planning across public, private and third-sector organisations.
The Guernsey Institute will deliver a series of major initiatives to bring the strategy to life, including:
- Skills for Life – A programme designed to help adults build essential skills, confidence and employability.
- Micro-credentials – Short, flexible, employer-recognised qualifications to support upskilling and reskilling in a fast-changing economy.
- GradRoutes – A new pathway offering structured opportunities for graduates to build sustainable careers in Guernsey.
Additional targeted programmes will be introduced to ensure skills development remains accessible, relevant and responsive to local industry needs.
Speaking on behalf of the G8, Glen Tonks, Chair of IoD Guernsey, said: “Guernsey’s future economic strength will be driven by the skills, talent and adaptability of our people. By backing this strategy and establishing the new Adult Skills Board, we are committing to a coordinated, long-term approach that helps islanders develop new skills, adapt to change and access meaningful opportunities throughout their lives.”
Pictured: Left to right: Ian Le Moigne, Glen Tonks, Alice Gill, Louise Misselke, Wayne Bulpitt, Jonathan Creasey, Stephen Rouxel from the G8 committee.
