Item 5 is the Education Workforce Council (Registration of Youth Workers, Youth Support Workers and Work Based Learning Practitioner) Order 2016. I call on the Minister for Skills and Science to move the motion. Julie James.

Motion NDM6180 Jane Hutt

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales; in accordance with Standing Order 27.5

Approves that the draft The Education Workforce Council (Registration of Youth Workers, Youth Support Workers and Work Based Learning Practitioners) Order 2016 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 15 November 2016.

Motion moved.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I move the motion.

Wales is at the forefront of ensuring greater coherence and recognising the contribution that the whole education workforce makes to learners in Wales. I’m sure Members will agree that the registration of the wider educational workforce is good news as it provides the reassurances that the workforce is deemed suitable for registration. The registration of youth workers, youth support workers and work-based learning practitioners is phase 3 of registration of the education sector and will set a registration requirement for these new practitioners from 1 April 2017 with the Education Workforce Council.

A consultation held earlier this year sought views on proposals for the registration of these new categories of practitioners, which received the overwhelming support of those who took the time and effort to respond, and I thank all those that did. There were concerns raised that registration could potentially impact on youth-sector volunteers who give up their free time to work within the sector. This will not be the case. However, the Order does allow for an individual to register on a voluntary basis, provided they meet the necessary criteria set out in the Order and are content to pay the associated registration fee.

The registration of these new groups with the Education Workforce Council will strengthen their profile in ways that are supportive, that will recognise the value of their work and the contributions that they make in the lives of young people.

We will be supporting this Order, but I just have a few points that I’d like to raise, and perhaps the Minister could respond to them.

I should also declare an interest as one of the honorary presidents of the Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services

Registering an individual who is a youth worker isn’t going to secure a better quality of service necessarily. There are other factors, such as ensuring that sufficient resources are available and access to CPD is also very important. We need an assurance, I think, that there will be clear pathways and accessible pathways in terms of qualifications from level 2 to degree level for these youth workers. Therefore, I want a commitment from the Minister, if truth be told, that that support will be available and that resources will be available to ensure that that pathway is accessible to these workers.

Also, of course, the Education Workforce Council can’t enforce registration on individuals they’re not aware of. There may be individuals and organisations out there providing services, and individuals who may well be qualified to do that, but the workforce council, as I say, isn’t aware of their existence. So, how do you anticipate that the Education Workforce Council will deal with that issue and will ensure that everyone who should be registered is registered?

Well, on the first point, this is welcome because, as the Member will know, we’ve worked very hard to make sure that youth workers in particular—this obviously extends to work-based learning practitioners as well—but youth workers in particular gain the recognition that they so richly deserve, and registration does give them access of course to the continuous professional development and learning pathways arrangements. We’ve based it on qualification after extensive consultation about how to do it and who to capture. What we’d be expecting is for local authorities that employ somebody who doesn’t have the relevant qualification to assist them to get there. And that’s kind of the point really: to get that professionalisation driven into the workforce that we want so much. So, I would expect that to happen. It’s early days for it, but we do expect that to happen, absolutely. I’m not actually the Minister for youth work any more; my colleague Alun Davies is, and he will be ensuring that the proposals go ahead on that basis.

On the other basis, in terms of how we will get to anyone who—. I think what you’re asking is: how will we know that we’ve captured everybody who ought to be registered? And the answer to that is that if they’re not registered, they won’t be able to work in the sectors that are proscribed, so it will sort itself out. If there are any more details to that then I’m afraid, because I’m not the youth worker Minister any more, I’m not aware of them. So, if there’s anything additional to that, then I’ll get a written answer for you. I’m not aware of it at the moment, but if there is more detail than that, I’ll write to you.

Thank you. The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? No. Therefore, the motion is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.