The new Skills that Work for Wales strategy contains proposals for significant reform that will strengthen the skills levels across Wales.
Deputy Minister John Griffiths said: “Skills and employment are the foundation of a successful life and are essential for a more prosperous and more equal Wales. We have made excellent progress on jobs and skills over recent years, but the rest of the world is not standing still. As a government we are committed to addressing the skills and employment agenda with determination and urgency.”
The Skills that Work for Wales strategy focuses on nine key areas and will have wide ranging implications for everyone in the education and skills system from the learner to the provider:
Young people
The long-term skills challenge will only be met if young people are offered early and better opportunities. The Assembly Government will:
- Ensure the best start for young people through the foundation phase
- Help young learners acquire the skills they need through the revised curriculum and Skills Framework for 3-19 year olds;
- Offer a range of applied learning routes for all 14-19 year olds within the Welsh Baccalaureate.
- Create options that match the learning styles and interests of students; and
- Ensure students who make a vocational choice do so on a well-informed basis.
Funding
The Assembly Government will spend over £2 billion per year on education and skills by 2010-11. Across the UK, employers invest over £30 billion per year in training. The Assembly Government will:
- Create a transparent mechanism to target our funding on priorities by introducing a fees policy covering all post-16 learning; and
- Improve the local ownership of Adult Community Learning.
All-age Basic Skills
Basic skills are essential for social inclusion and the platform for further learning. The Assembly Government will:- Reform GCSEs so they place a greater emphasis on securing the basics in English, Welsh, Maths and ICT.
- Deliver an entitlement for all learners to free basic skills learning, once accepted on a course;
- Raise our capacity to respond to demand by investing in teachers, lecturers and trainers; and
- Promote the Basic Skills Employer Pledge and create incentives for businesses to address basic skills.
The Unemployed
We want everyone who can work to have the opportunity to do so. Our long term aim, shared with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), is full employment in Wales.Although employment policy is not devolved, many of the policies that will contribute to achieving full employment - skills, health, childcare, local government, transport and regeneration - are devolved. We are working closely with the UK Government to ensure that the next stage of welfare reform meets Wales’ particular needs and circumstances. The Assembly Government will:
- Deliver an integrated skills for employment service (Careers Ladders Wales) linked with welfare-to-work programmes led by the DWP;
- Prioritise investment in the most disadvantaged areas; and
- Make sure our skills programmes can develop employability and help people into jobs.
The Workforce of the Future
Wales needs a strong apprenticeship system. The Assembly Government will:- Safeguard the apprenticeship brand by contracting separately for apprenticeship delivery;
- Integrate apprenticeships with the Welsh Baccalaureate, ending the separation between vocational and academic routes.
- Use accreditation of prior learning to ensure apprenticeships add value for employers and individuals.
Business
We will align skills initiatives with broader support for employers to develop their businesses, as part of an integrated approach to economic development in Wales. The business community has told us that the wide range of support schemes is confusing - we will therefore simplify and streamline our programmes. The Assembly Government will also:- Deliver an integrated business support package, focused on priority sectors and strategically important businesses;
- Expand the Workforce Development Programme and discretionary funding, especially for leadership and management development; and
- Introduce a new Sector Priorities Fund to ensure funding for skills meet the needs of key sectors.
Higher Education Sector
A highly skilled workforce is essential for an innovative knowledge economy, and we need a competitive, sustainable higher education (HE) sector to produce high-level skills. The Assembly Government will:- Review HE in Wales and publish a new strategy to reflect the evolving mission and role of the sector;
- Develop employment-related foundation degrees, particularly in sectors of strategic importance; and
- Establish national research centres, such as the national science academy, to expand HE research capacity.
Employer & Sector led
The Wales Employment and Skills Board (WESB) will strengthen the employer voice in Wales, providing a robust external challenge to the system. Sector Skills Councils (SSC) will also be a key influence in the planning of learning delivery. The Assembly Government will:Look to the WESB to advise on the implementation of this strategy and on new targets and performance measures from 2010 onwards;
Look to SSC’s to represent employers, identifying priority skills needs and advising which qualifications should be prioritised for public funding; and
Review the priorities for, and structure of, careers service delivery.
Training Provider
Although the performance of our learning network is improving, only a network of high-quality providers working in collaboration, can deliver our goals of improved choice and opportunity for learners. The Assembly Government will:
- Introduce a revised Quality and Effectiveness Framework; and
- Transform the way the post-11 provider network operates and collaborates to improve its effectiveness and efficiency.
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