Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The FE sector is a responsive sector and I fully expect them to embrace this improved methodology, to work collaboratively and regionally, and to ensure that each and every one of our FE learners is given the best possible start in the world of higher education or employment. We need to be constantly striving for improved learner outcomes, and I am keen to see an increase in the trend of...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Alongside the changes to full-time provision, I'm also proposing to change the way part-time provision is funded, planned and delivered. The introduction of funding frameworks in 2014-15 I'm afraid coincided with a 37 per cent decrease in the funding available for part-time learning, with a further 50 per cent the following year. So, since 2015-16, the volume of part-time provision has varied...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, nobody wanted to see the kind of cuts that were imposed on the FE sector, but that was a deliberate decision by the UK Tory Government in relation to austerity. That is the consequence of the cuts. We have to make decisions, we have to prioritise, and this was the decision that was forced upon us, that we did not want to take, but we had to take, because of that austerity decision,...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Yes, just first of all on lifelong learning—I think it is critical. I think the role of FE in lifelong learning is terribly important. One of the key issues we have in our society today in terms of problems is in-work poverty, so the question is: how do we get people out of that situation? The answer, I think, is to upskill them while they are still at work. To do that, we need to provide a...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Part-time provision. Yes, part-time provision—absolutely, we are concerned about this and that's why we've had to prioritise. We have done some analysis to have a look at how this would impact. Of course we've been speaking to the colleges about this. We've had to prioritise. We're really making sure that there's consistency. When we've decided where to prioritise, though, we've decided...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I'm also delighted that we've managed to find the money in terms of the support staff. Some of these people are on extremely low pay, so I think it's really important that we've managed to find that money and to support them. As you say, they are essential staff in terms of making the colleges work, so I'm delighted that that has happened. In terms of upskilling, I think everybody recognises...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much. I met recently with the German industry to discuss this very issue. They came in and put forward their model of what is a successful model in Germany. I know that my predecessor in this role actually went to Germany and looked at the model and tried to understand if there was anything that we could pick up from the system. I think the nature of the education systems are...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: This, again, is something else that I discussed with the German representative. We talked about how they managed to convince German companies that it was in their interest to invest in their own employees. I think we've had, over the years, quite a lot of European funding, and many employers in Wales have come to depend on European funding to upskill their workers. I think we need to probably...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, the answer to that is 'a lot more than they're doing in England'. The interesting thing is that the apprenticeship levy is being paid by large companies, and they're given, effectively, tokens to spend and it's only the large companies that have access to the apprenticeship system. There's been such a mess that the actual system is collapsing in England. We've not gone down that route...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, what we had hoped, of course, is that the commissioner would be doing more of the promotional work. As that has perhaps been difficult for the commissioner to undertake, part of that work has come in-house and is being undertaken by officials within Welsh Government. Of course, ideally, we would like to have people at arm's length, people with the skills outwith the Government doing...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, I don't think it's appropriate for me to respond to the contents of my personal manifesto as a spokesperson on behalf of Welsh Government in this place. What I can tell you is that, as regards the Welsh language Bill, of course we hope that that Bill will come before us. At present, you are just as aware as I am of the mess that is taking place from the point of view of Brexit, and...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I think that a huge amount of work has already been done internally, within the Government, as regards promoting the Welsh language and I would like to see the commissioner doing more of that work, and we’re in discussions to see whether, as a result of the fact that we won’t be seeing the imposition of more standards at present, there’s a possibility of seeing the current commissioner...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Within the skills portfolio, we are leading on nine European social fund projects, with £340 million approved to December 2023. Around 105,000 participants have been supported to date, and we expect to support a further 125,000 to underpin a number of 'Prosperity for All' commitments and to deliver those key ministerial priorities.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, of course it's difficult to provide assurances on anything at the moment, but we can hopefully rely on the assurance given by the Treasury that, whatever happens, even if there is a 'no deal', that we will have a guarantee that that funding will continue until 2020. If there's a transition deal, then officials are seeking to ensure that any money remaining within that ESF pot as a...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, I think that my colleague is leading on this, but what I can say is that I think there are other sources that we could bid for to ensure that we get more of that funding into Wales. But I also think that it’s important for us to emphasise that it isn't only the Government’s responsibility to fund research and development. The private sector also must put their hands in their...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, Mohammad, I'm delighted to say that we're ahead of target in terms of the apprenticeship delivery, and I'm fairly confident that I can say that we are going to bust that target of 100,000 apprenticeships. There's more money that we think will be coming in that area. This is something we're absolutely committed to as a Welsh Government. We're very proud of our record on this. So, I'm...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, Neil. I'm very pleased that you asked that in Welsh, and thank you for your efforts in that regard. I do think that there is a connection that's made very often between Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government, and there is continuous monitoring of what the council have promised to do in their Welsh in education strategic plan, and, in that, we hope that they will ensure...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much. Well, I'm extremely pleased to see this new school being opened. I was one of the people who campaigned for a school in this area of the city, and I was at the ceremony where they cut the first sod for the new building. I'm also very happy that there is a nursery unit that will be attached to the school and I do now hope that there will be an endeavour—and I know that...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, in relation to Welsh language teachers, where I'm slightly more familiar with where the issues are, I think in relation to primary schoolteachers, we're probably on course and we have enough teachers. We do have an issue, as do people across the whole of the planet, in recruiting teachers to secondary education. We are putting very practical measures in place to ensure that we can...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, and thank you to the Member who opened the debate and to everyone who has contributed too. May I make it clear that, like so many of you, I am disappointed that our public services, including FE, have been under substantial pressure over the past few years? I have to highlight, of course, that it's the austerity agenda of the UK Government that's entirely responsible for...
