, Plenary
Reform UK Debate: Local referendums on council tax rises
What about public services? How do you pay for them?
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Thank you for the welcome and the questions.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
I think this report is going to be such a milestone in terms of our understanding of the NEETs agenda. It will beg questions anew for us as a Government as to our approach and the best way of supporting these young people and whether the programmes we…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
So, that will provide that granular detail across the UK of where that balance is in terms of what we need to do to support those NEET young people, whether it is employability skills, whether it is to do with mental health, whether it is to do with…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
What we are looking forward to is the Alan Milburn report, which is coming out, I think—. Is it next month?
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Well, that's a really interesting question because it's a live discussion between me and the Minister for enterprise, because when you look at the acronym 'NEET', it's 'not in employment, education or training'. So, the education and training part of that…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Thank you.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
As someone who comes from an adult education background, I understand completely what the value of this is and how transformational education for adults can be, not just in terms of opening the door to new opportunities, but it also improves someone's…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
I've had numerous letters from Members on the performing arts side of things in particular. What we've decided to do is to extend that interim period to allow the young people to go on those courses. Obviously, we'll have to take a longer term view, because…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
I'll bring officials in specifically on that programme, but, as a point of principle, you're absolutely right—and I think I mentioned this earlier on—that work experience provides a softer approach to getting the vulnerable young people that we have into…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Thank you. I'll take that first question on childcare myself. The Minister who is responsible for childcare and I have had a number of conversations. Providing childcare across the whole of Wales is a clear priority of this Government. That means, of course…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Absolutely. Absolutely, yes.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Yes, we've spoken quite a bit about that wraparound support for apprentices, and that is something Medr clearly understand and are working through at the moment.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Thank you. Obviously, I'm not aware of those specific examples you've given, but we need to change the whole world of apprenticeships in Wales, and that is why this skills audit is so, so important. It gives us that evidence base, and we're bringing employers…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Yes. That is not a devolved matter, so we can certainly make representations to the UK Government, but it's not a devolved issue.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
There will be other sectors identified.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Okay. So, the apprenticeship levy is run through the UK Government, so that's not a devolved issue, that particular levy, but we have our own support for apprenticeships. So, I don't know whether—. I've tried to explain—.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
You mean in the context of the apprenticeship levy.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Thank you. Two hugely important questions. I'll start with the importance of awareness raising around apprenticeships as an option for young people. First of all, they need to understand as early as years 7, 8 or 9 in secondary schools that the traditional…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
That is why the skills audit is so important, so that we understand on a regional and national level where those sectors, the growth sectors, are, so that when small and medium-sized businesses invest, or larger businesses invest, in apprenticeships, they get…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
That's an interesting take on it. That is a scheme run by the UK Government, and I think the issue is around the apprenticeship levy that they are running. I would want us, because we're a smaller country and we understand our needs, to work on that regional…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Well, the apprenticeship levy is an interesting one. It's a plan for the UK, but we have to remember that Wales has a different model of apprenticeship support, and I think that our model is better, because the nature of the economy in Wales is very…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Well, I don't know the answer, and perhaps officials could help, but one thing that is clear is that the percentages that fail to complete their apprenticeship courses are higher in certain sectors than others. And that suggests that perhaps there is a…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
So, it's a work in progress is the point that you're making.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Yes, that is a good point that you make there. What I feel we need to do, generally, is to raise the profile of apprenticeships as an alternative route into the world of work. We have several programmes that provide that support and information to young…
