, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 3 - Information around Apprenticeships
One of the things that we've discussed at length today has been the ability for colleges to access schools to discuss with pupils their possible destinations into apprenticeships, because we know that there's a relatively low take-up of apprenticeships among…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 2 - Colleges and Apprenticeship Providers
Yes. In the process of compiling my report, Yana Williams, the principal and CEO of Coleg Cambria, made this point about data, and I went back to Careers Wales about it. They pushed back quite strongly and said that they keep a record of annual pupil…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 2 - Colleges and Apprenticeship Providers
It's scaling up these things. That's okay from me, Cadeirydd.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 2 - Colleges and Apprenticeship Providers
I couldn't agree more with you on that. I've looked into the Cardiff Commitment too and it is very good. The answer is scaling up, isn't it?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 2 - Colleges and Apprenticeship Providers
That's exactly right, isn't it? It's those pockets that need to be scaled up.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 2 - Colleges and Apprenticeship Providers
Just before we do that, can I just add an addendum to that question, which Lisa can respond to as well? I've recommended a tailored and meaningful work experience for those year 11 students, for example, who want it. So, it's not a set work experience for…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 2 - Colleges and Apprenticeship Providers
And—[Inaudible.]
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 2 - Colleges and Apprenticeship Providers
I'm going to take you up on that offer.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 2 - Colleges and Apprenticeship Providers
That was the plan until the Government reshuffle.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 2 - Colleges and Apprenticeship Providers
In the development of my report, one of the things I found was that schools are desperate to get in touch with employers and use employers in the Curriculum for Wales, but they just can't get access. Further education colleges have a huge bank of contacts…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 2 - Colleges and Apprenticeship Providers
Thank you. I should declare an interest here, because, in another life, I supervised Grant Santos's MBA dissertation, and an excellent piece of work it was. It's worth just making that point. In the view of the panel—. One of the things I found when I was…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
I think there's an opportunity for Welsh Government to perhaps model that and upscale those good practice examples.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
Yes, please. Just to come back to where we started, my recommendation 1 in my report is almost identical to recommendation 16 in Sharron Lusher's report. So, can I just ask that question? Do employers possibly hold the key to bringing access for FE into…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
Yes, on employers. I touched on this—. Sorry, Chair, were you saying something?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
I just want to endorse what Rhian said, and also to say, on a more positive note, it's not just about resource with work experience. A targeted and tailored work experience for those who want it was also identified as the right approach. So, just having a…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
And I'm not convinced that's going to be easy, given the evidence we've gathered. Okay. I could go on for much longer, but I'm going to have to stop now to give other people a chance.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
That's really helpful. And with regard to the apprenticeship framework review—and I agree with you, Rhian, you're absolutely right—with regard to the 2023 apprenticeship review and the role of employers, one of the things I've found, and, no doubt, given that…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
Okay. I won’t press you any further on that, because that’s probably as far as you’ll be able to go at the moment. One of the things we need to be able to see is—. I notice that junior apprenticeships are coming to the fore at the moment, but we need to be…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
Yes, if we don’t know what’s happening with the levy, employers will say, ‘Why should we pay for degree apprenticeships when we’re already paying a levy?’, which in Wales appears to be a tax to me. And students will push back against paying for degree…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
There are a couple of things there that I’d like to just follow up on. First of all, you’ve recognised that the funding of degree apprenticeships limits the availability of them. Do you not think it’s time to have a very honest conversation about how we fund…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
Oh, sorry. Sorry.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
No, nor me. Nor me. That's interesting. Okay. It would've been nice to have some consultation and discussion on that, but there we are. Okay. So, let me just move to—just a second, sorry—apprenticeships. Sorry, my computer is not behaving. Two seconds. Yes…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
There's a £1.6 million allocation to implementing the vocational qualifications review report and my report. Have they mentioned this to you?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
Diolch, Cadeirydd. Can I ask Sharron Lusher, I understand that, in the budget, £1.6 million has been allocated to implement the recommendations of both your report and my report. Has the Welsh Government been in touch to say how they're going to do that?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
Okay.
