Connecting capability and opportunity in south Wales
New talent intelligence partnership to accelerate local growth
Partners: Recurve & Deep Learn Human Science | Status: Live – Co-Design Phase
Recurve is proud to be partnering with Deep Learn Human Science (DLHS) to develop a consortium bid into Cardiff Capital Region’s Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LPIF).
The proposed project aims to help young people in the region realise their potential, and to help firms in the region’s burgeoning innovation ecosystem find the talent they need to grow.
Rethinking ‘skills’
In south Wales, as in many regions, the mismatch between the talent needed by firms and what is readily available is a barrier to growth. Identifying and hiring talent is an expensive and risk-prone business for SMEs. At the same time, there is a growing pool of workers and potential workers struggling to find their way into the rapidly-evolving labour market.
DLHS is a fast-growing Cardiff-based firm operating at the intersection of neuroscience, AI, psychology and biology, with 25 years experience of activating ‘human capacity’ in business and elite sports.
At the heart of the proposal is the creation of a ‘talent intelligence infrastructure’ which will connect local talent to job opportunities. Unlike traditional skills interventions which focus on qualifications, our approach is focused on understanding the essential human capabilities needed to thrive in specific in-demand roles - such as regulating under pressure, navigating uncertainty, and making sense of complexity. Having mapped the capabilities needed for the region’s growing pool of high-value jobs, the partnership will help students in local colleges and universities understand their own unique strengths and match their character to the roles where they will truly thrive.
Unfolding the full potential of regional talent
“Productivity comes from people who are integrated, confident, and able to learn continuously,” says Chris Butt, Founder and CEO of Deep Learn Human Systems. “These are not ‘soft skills’. They are survival skills, and they are economic skills. Can someone regulate stress and recover after setbacks? Make sense of complexity rather than shut down? Work with others and repair conflict? Connect effort to meaning and contribution? Adapt when the context changes?
“The real question is not how we fix young people, but how we rebuild systems that help them become capable. By building this infrastructure in Cardiff, we are helping the region rebuild systems that respect human wiring—helping young people become truly capable and giving our most ambitious firms the talent intelligence they need to lead."
Equipping High-Growth Firms
This isn't just about a smarter ‘talent push’ approach. The project will also help firms to identify the ‘predictability of contribution’ in prospective new hires, ensuring they find individuals with the cognitive and behavioural profiles best suited to the roles available.
A Blueprint for the UK
Recurve is drawing on its 20 years of experience in ecosystem mobilisation and innovation funding to ensure this model is both locally impactful and nationally replicable. Sam Markey, Founder & Managing Director of Recurve, said:
“With this collaboration we are proposing a system that treats a young person’s potential and a firm’s growth needs with the same strategic importance as a new rail link. This is a highly replicable solution. If we can demonstrate its potential in the Cardiff Capital Region, it will provide a blueprint for how all parts of the UK can activate as yet unrealised talent, creating purposeful individuals, flourishing firms and shared prosperity."
Project summary
Precision Matching: Connecting local firms to a pipeline of talent matched for character and grit, not just a degree title.
Inclusive Growth: Ensuring high-growth opportunities are accessible to everyone based on their innate potential, with tailored training to close capability gaps.
Replicable Success: Providing a data-driven model that other UK regions can use to turn local talent into their greatest infrastructure asset.
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