Background
Skates was born in Flintshire, North Wales and attended Ysgol y Waun in Gwernaffield and the Alun School, Mold, where he studied A-levels in physics, maths, English and politics.
Skates was born in Flintshire, North Wales and attended Ysgol y Waun in Gwernaffield and the Alun School, Mold, where he studied A-levels in physics, maths, English and politics.
University of Cambridge.
After graduating, Skates took a gap-period in the United States, before joining the Wrexham Leader newspaper. He studied for his NVQ in journalism at Yale College, Wrexham, and then went freelance working for the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Daily Express
Whilst working as a freelance journalist, Skates began working as office manager for Mark Tami, Labour Member of Parliament for Alyn and Deeside. Skates was elected with 42.4% of the vote in Clwyd South in 2011.
In June 2013, Skates was appointed by Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones as Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology.
In a reshuffle in September 2014 he was made Deputy Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport in September 2014.
Welsh Labour, Labour Party.
In 2012 he was one of four AMs to stand up in the Senedd chamber to talk about their experiences with mental health problems.