, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
We acknowledge that that is a challenge for SMEs. If I can take a step back, this audit of skills that is currently being held will assist every sector to identify where the needs and the demand for skills will lie in future. As it happens, in the…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
And I think it's worth saying as well that Erasmus officials recognise the success of Taith, and have taken on board the learning from Taith. So, I hope that is reflected in how they score and assess applications as well.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
—only last week. So, some of these issues around making it easier for applications to be made were discussed. We also discussed with them as well the issue around bilingualism and that application forms and the branding around Erasmus+ are bilingual. So…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
So, UK Government have offered the administration of Erasmus+ to the British Council. And I met with the chief executive of the British Council, and the Wales manager, Ruth Cox—. Is she the Wales manager—
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Yes, good. So, the decision on Taith will be made in time for the budget. It will be a line, hopefully, in that budget, which will show how much financial support we can provide for Taith. But the calls for applications for Erasmus will be opening up in…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
We know that Taith has been a very successful scheme. One of the most positive features of Taith is that it managed to reach groups in the third sector and to reach groups that are underrepresented. These are groups of young people who perhaps might not have…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Thank you. I'll combine those two questions. Certainly, the panel will look at every single one of the aspects that you've raised. What I have said to the chair, very clearly—and of course it was a conversation through the medium of English—is that nothing is…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Yes—sorry. All the unions, that's right, including NUS, will be on that stakeholder group.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
That's a very good question. As you know, I announced last week that Professor Patrick Prendergast would lead that review as chair. Hopefully next week, I will announce the names of the panellists who will make up that small group looking at the future of our…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
You're absolutely right, and that's the main reason why I established this panel as one of the first decisions that I made, having been appointed to this role. The situation is concerning at most of our universities, as you've said: there is debt across the…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Behind your question is the whole issue, which we discussed earlier on, about supporting those most vulnerable young people, and to guide them through those learning pathways where they are most vulnerable. Absolutely, I am committed. Obviously, being fairly…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
I am committed to ensuring that mental health and additional learning needs support and the general well-being of our learners remains high on this Government's agenda. But on the specific programme that you refer to, I don't know whether officials can help…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Claire's absolutely right. If I can just add to that, we aren't clear, therefore, what the UK Government's intentions are around plan 2. If they change their position, that changes the whole situation for us as well. So I think it's a wait to see what the UK…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Of course they do, yes. There's the short-term decision around the plan and the freeze, which we will have to make in the next couple of weeks, but there's the longer term plan as well, around how we support our university sector, and also bearing in mind how…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
That, as you know, Lynne, is a hugely complex area—student loans, student fees, repayment thresholds, caps and so on. We haven't made a decision yet, and we are still discussing. The wider picture, if I can start with that, will be one of the priorities of…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Yes.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Absolutely. I can give you a stone-clad commitment that that will absolutely remain.
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Thank you, Lynne. We've had numerous discussions around Seren. It is clearly in our manifesto that we want to review Seren. Many of us believe, including myself, that the emphasis had changed during the course of Seren to encourage young people—this is the…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
That is something that's hugely concerning for us. The education Minister and I have had a number of meetings with Qualifications Wales to look at that situation. As everyone knows, the education department in Westminster has decided to take a different route…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
We understand the important role of Jobs Growth Wales+. It's a conversation I had with the Minister yesterday, when we were discussing the NEETs agenda, and we know that that programme is under pressure. But we are committed to extending Jobs Growth Wales+…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Well, I'll answer the last one first. No-one has said that we are not going to provide money for FE to take account of the increased pressures. That decision hasn't been made. So, I think the point about Medr and the breach of legal duty is not appropriate at…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Well, this is a live discussion, and I think colleagues around the Cabinet table are fully aware of the pressures on FE and also are fully cognisant of the pressures around the NEET agenda as well. So, it's a collective responsibility. But if I can just add…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Yes, and we want that level playing field, of course we do. And we want as many young people to go on to the courses they choose to go on to, because if we don't provide them with those opportunities—and I understand there are waiting lists in some…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
I'm not aware that it affects other sectors in the same way. As I said earlier on, I think it's a success story around FE, but that brings about its own challenges. So, as I remarked earlier on, we are keeping a very close eye on developments in all the…
, Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee
Welsh Government General Scrutiny Session
Good morning.
