5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the actions the Welsh Government is taking to strengthen post-16 education in Wales? OAQ54029

Llywydd, the post-16 sector is central to our plans to improve Welsh skills levels, economic prosperity and social mobility. Our reforms to post-compulsory education and training will bring the sector together under a single regulatory body, with a shared determination to strengthen the quality, relevance and coherence of post-16 learning.

I thank you for that answer, First Minister. It's quite clear that we need to make sure that post-16 education takes us forward. Delivery of post-16 education, as we know, is either through our schools' sixth forms, or through our further education institutions. Now, the FE sector welcomes the comments you've just made, particularly in relation to the vocational arm of the direction of education, because it is important that we address the skills agenda, which we've already identified. However, it also delivers many of the traditional academic pathways. Neath Port Talbot College in my own constituency—or my own area; sorry, Jeremy, it's in your constituency—also talks about A-levels and the academic route, but that will have an impact on the new curriculum coming into those institutions. We need a change and we need to prepare our young people on their education journey, post 16, when the pre-16 changes take place. So, what actions are you taking to ensure that post-16 institutions are prepared to ensure that that journey does continue to run smoothly?

Llywydd, I want to agree with what David has said about the importance of having that seamless transition from the new curriculum for three to 16-year-olds and what happens in post-compulsory education. It's why FE colleges have been directly involved in the construction of the new curriculum, with representatives sitting on each of the groups that have developed the guidance for each of the new four areas of learning and experience. And their feedback has been very important in making sure that A-level syllabuses and A-level teaching are grounded in the new curriculum and everything that we hope it will bring. In the autumn of this year, Llywydd, Qualifications Wales will consult on the approach to qualifications to support that new curriculum. A key consideration in their work will be ensuring that new arrangements maintain access to the full range of A-levels, and, of course, FE colleges will be fully involved in that work.