Schools, colleges, training providers and employers all agree that we currently lack a clear understanding of Wales’s skills requirements and of what kinds of courses or training should be prioritised, by which providers, and where, in order to give people the skills they need to access emerging opportunities in the Welsh labour market.
As the basis for a new skills, training and workforce development strategy for Wales, we will undertake a comprehensive national skills audit.
This will give us a clearer understanding of future skills needs, guiding the development of vocational qualifications, and the design and funding of training programmes – including apprenticeships – so that these are all better aligned with both learner aspirations and the demands of the future Welsh economy.
We will ensure that every young person in Wales has meaningful access to high-quality opportunities for education, training and employment that both match their aspirations and the needs of Welsh employers.
To address fragmentation in the present skills system and make it easier and more streamlined for people to access the education and training opportunities that are right for them, we will:
- Improve access to careers advice and guidance, and increase awareness of the full range of post-16 options available to learners through both sixth forms and colleges.
- Require local authorities, schools and colleges to better collaborate to ensure that all learners are able to choose the skills pathway that best suits them.
- Embed collaboration between schools, colleges and employers to improve the availability and take-up of vocational qualifications and training opportunities.
We will better leverage existing funding streams, including for City and Regional Growth Deals – which are currently underperforming in terms of delivery against their skills, training and jobs targets – to better support apprenticeships, and provide more and better opportunities for vocational and work-based training. We will also ensure that the Local Growth Fund for Wales effectively supports skills and training.