6. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Economy about promoting the educational benefits of apprenticeships in North Wales? OQ57147

The Minister for Economy and I are both committed to promoting apprenticeships in north Wales. We will continue to focus promotion on growth sectors, such as those in the green economy, and encouraging more employers to recruit young people through our apprenticeship incentive scheme.

Thank you, Minister, for your response there. As I'm sure you would acknowledge also, apprenticeships do have a huge benefit and can often be the start of extremely successful career paths for many people across my region in north Wales and indeed across Wales generally, often seeing more progression and skills development perhaps than those who may go through an alternative route through university. Indeed, I was one of those who, following sixth form, chose not to go to university, despite the strong encouragement from my school. 

Following the pandemic, many industries are now seeing a huge skills shortage, including sectors such as the hospitality and tourism sector, which were badly hit during the pandemic. Indeed, I've noted the recent words of Arwyn Watkins, who's the president of the Culinary Association of Wales and has highlighted the challenge. He said, 'For more than a decade, the work-based learning sector in Wales has been campaigning for apprenticeships to have parity of esteem with degrees, but our words have fallen on deaf ears.' So, Minister, what work will you do in conjunction with the Minister for Economy to ensure that students in schools are made aware of the huge opportunities and benefits that come with apprenticeships?

The Member makes a very important point. The legislation that was introduced to the Senedd last week, in my mind, is the parity of esteem legislation, and that contains within it the levers that are required in order to make a reality of the priority that Members in all parts of this Chamber have attached to that question of parity of esteem for a very, very long time. I think one of the interesting opportunities that arise in the context of that legislation is the fact that sixth forms are brought within the compass of the work of the new commission. I think that will change the relationship between schools and post-16 providers in a way that makes a reality of that sense of continuum of education. It will provide opportunities, I think, just in the way I responded to Cefin Campbell earlier, for learners at all parts of their journey to have in mind throughout the equal weight that they should be giving to vocational routes post 16. He will also be aware that some of the proposals in the 'Qualified for the future' consultation, which Qualifications Wales announced a few weeks ago, are around providing a range of GCSE qualifications that have a more vocational focus. One, for example, is in the space of engineering and manufacturing. So, I think there are a range of ways in which we can move this agenda forward, and I look forward to working with him in relation to that legislation if he’s happy to do that.

I thank Mr Rowlands for bringing this very important question forward today. Minister, I learnt on the tools for my engineering apprenticeship things that were just not covered in school nor college, and nor were they covered in my part-time degree when I studied at Glyndŵr University. These are skills that stand anyone in good stead for life. And in the words of Michael Halliday, my colleague who I served my apprenticeship alongside, 'An apprenticeship is the foundation and grounding to build on which you just don’t get through the traditional route.' Mike Halliday is now the head of DRB Group in Deeside at the age of just 26—an excellent example of what a good-quality apprenticeship can offer.

Minister, we know that we need to engineer and manufacture the next generation of sustainable products and technology in Wales. To do this, we do need people to become skilled engineers and skilled manufactures through the apprenticeship route once they do leave school. Will you commit to working closely with the economy Minister, education providers, apprenticeship providers, employers and, importantly, trade unions to make sure this happens?

I thank Jack Sargeant for that question, and for his commitment, from the moment he got elected, to this agenda. I know how very passionately he feels about it, not least having his own first-hand experience of that. The Welsh Government has a clear commitment to deliver 125,000 all-age apprenticeships during the current term. They will be delivered in line with the priorities of the economy in exactly the way that he is describing. We can only make progress in this area if we work in partnership with further education providers, employers and, importantly, trade unions, as he says.