Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:32 pm on 15 November 2016.
Can I call for two statements, please—one from the Minister responsible for lifelong learning and the Welsh language, on support for people with learning disabilities who are accessing further education? He’ll be aware of the concerns that were raised this week in the media regarding the system of support that is available to learners in post-16 further education with learning disabilities. Of course, there are statements available, which can be agreed with local authorities, in respect of people who attend schools, but the same system does not apply to those in further education. Rather, Careers Wales is given the opportunity to determine whether a system of support should be available. And there is no right to appeal against that system if those learners don’t get the support that they need.
I would be grateful if the Minister could clarify whether he’s prepared to look at this situation, to see whether there might be an opportunity to address the inequity that there is currently in that system, and, hopefully, also to ensure that Careers Wales can extend the offer of support, from beyond the current two-year cap to three years, or more, where necessary, because, of course, some of the individuals involved may need to be in post-16 education and further education colleges for a longer period of time than regular learners, because of their disabilities.
Can I also support the calls from Simon Thomas for a statement from the Minister for Skills and Science on the apprenticeship levy? There is clearly a lot of confusion out there amongst employers, and, indeed, training providers, especially with regard to individuals who might be employed by Welsh businesses but actually live over the border, and whether they may or may not be entitled to support, under the levy. I was very surprised to hear you say that there’s not a lot of money coming to Wales as a result of the levy. The reality is that, over the next three years, there’s going to be £400 million. So, I suggest that you speak to your finance Minister, and determine exactly how that money is going to be spent. I want to see that money spent on supporting apprenticeships across Wales. That clearly isn’t—we don’t get the impression that that’s the intention of the Government at the moment. We need some clarity on this—training providers, employers and employees do, too.