Ken Skates, Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology
This was published under the 2011 to 2016 administration of the Welsh Government
In January I launched the Welsh Government’s Policy Statement on Skills. The Statement included a commitment to consult further on the funding principles for post-19 skills delivery. These principles took account of the need for greater levels of co-investment between government, employers and individuals if Wales is to achieve a competitive and sustainable skills system.
Today I am launching a consultation on how a co-investment policy can be applied to post-19 skills delivery in Wales. The consultation will encourage views from employers, individuals and other key stakeholders across Wales on the following key areas:
- Achieving our potential: looking at the long-term skills performance measures we should be aiming to achieve and how co-investment can be used to prioritise the support available from government.
- Increasing investment in skills: how we balance price with maintaining high quality skills provision and what additional incentives could be used to support individuals and employers to invest in skills.
- Delivering what employers value: understanding how employers view the existing skills system and the types of learning outcomes or qualifications from which they gain maximum value.
- Improving the prospects of individuals in employment: how we support vulnerable individuals through our co-investment policy and what levers could be used to incentivise employers to invest in their workforce.
I welcome views from all stakeholders involved in post-19 skills delivery in Wales. I am particularly keen to hear from employers of different sizes and from a range of sectors across Wales. These views will be invaluable in determining how we deliver a resilient and sustainable skills system in Wales for the future.
The consultation responses we receive will be used to inform the Implementation Plan which will be published in July 2014. The consultation will close on the 16 May 2014 with a summary of responses being published shortly after this date.