Julie James: Thank you very much for those questions. I’d just like to say that I’m working very closely with my colleagues, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language, in ensuring that the transition stages between all areas of education are as seamless as possible and that we pick up individual learner needs at those times so that we correctly...
Julie James: Thank you very much for that series of questions. I think the issue around employer confidence is an interesting one. We had an extensive consultation over the summer—last summer—with employers on our apprenticeships programmes, which was completely upended by the announcements at UK level of the apprenticeship levy, which cut straight across that. Members who were here in the fourth...
Julie James: Well, we have a complex system of contract arrangements in place to provide work-based learning via a system of main contracts and then subcontracts; and actually, it’s quite a complex picture. Sometimes the further education colleges are subcontractors to the main contractor and vice versa. What I am able to confirm to the Member is that we do prioritise very much the needs of...
Julie James: Thank you for that series of questions. In my usual format, I’m going to answer the last one first and work backwards, just that’s because how my brain works. In terms of the overall funding programme, yes, we are going to assume, because we’ve been told on many occasions, that the funding shortfall that falls to Wales as a result of the Brexit agenda will be made up by the UK...
Julie James: Thank you, Acting Deputy Presiding Officer; how nice to see you in the chair. We’ve seen significant improvements in the employment rate in Wales over the last Assembly term. Between February and April 2016, the employment rate was close to a record high figure at 71.9 per cent, and is well above the rate of 65 to 67 per cent experienced in the mid to late 1990s and the early years of the...
Julie James: So, the Member will have heard in my statement that what I talked about is encouraging apprenticeship provision in skill-shortage areas in Wales, as identified through the regional skills partnerships, both for the three regions of Wales where we have the partnerships and for Wales as a whole. The Member may have heard my replies to other Members about our sorrow that the UKCES survey has...
Julie James: I do entirely agree that the loss of European structural and social funding to the apprenticeship programme would be a grievous blow to Wales, but I’d like to take it a bit further than just the money. As I said in my previous answer to Llyr, actually, we’ve benefitted hugely from sharing good practice across Europe and from being able to be part of the European family in terms of...
Julie James: We haven’t got that, yet. Those of us who were present in the previous Assembly will know that we took a legislative consent motion through to allow HMRC to collect data in Wales and to data share it with us. At the moment, HMRC are the only people in possession of those data and we’re in negotiation with them around the costs of releasing those data to us. However, we do know, in...
Julie James: Thank you for those questions. On that last one, I’m not going to agree to review the sustainability formula because we think it works extremely well and is one of the reasons that the programme has been so successful. However, the Member has correctly identified—and I remember the letter very well—that occasionally we have decisions that are not in line with the formula and, on review...
Julie James: Yes, I’m very happy to agree with the Member for Merthyr Tydfil that that scheme is very good. I’m familiar with it. I visited the college myself in the previous Assembly to have a look at some of the good schemes there. What is clear as well is that we have a number of employers who are very persuaded of the need for good-quality professional training, both for apprenticeships and for...
Julie James: Thank you for those questions. I’ll start with the last one: yes, about 25 per cent of the present programme is funded by European funds and I think it’s fair to say that without those funds the apprenticeship programme would not be the success it is today. We’ve also benefited from membership of various CVET organisations across Europe and indeed I have attended a conference in order...
Julie James: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I also add my congratulations to you on your new role, in an effort to curry some favour? [Laughter.] I would like to take this opportunity to inform members about the Government’s plans regarding the recruitment of apprentices over the coming months. As my statement today will make clear, we are taking action quickly to deliver on our pledge for...
Julie James: Carwyn Jones.
