Item 5 this afternoon is a statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language on digital learning in further education. I call on the Minister, Jeremy Miles.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Over the past three years, we have seen a step change in the development of digital learning, on a scale that we could never have anticipated before the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to pay tribute to the dedication of our staff and leaders across the whole education sector, who worked to keep our learners engaged during a period of unprecedented challenge.

It's now time to look forward. We have an exciting opportunity to consider how teaching and learning can evolve to meet the changing needs of learners, the changing needs of the economy and the changing needs of society—these are ever-changing needs. And this is is about harnessing the potential of technology to enhance learning experiences and widen access to learning opportunities for people in Wales. Our new school curriculum will help to develop pupils’ digital competence, and I want to ensure that our young people can continue on that journey as they progress into post-16 learning. 

The further education sector is also at the forefront of our plans to equip learners of all ages with the skills they need to progress into meaningful, fulfilling work. Effective vocational learning means working with the tools and techniques used by modern industry, and our colleges have forged strong partnerships with employers to help fulfil the digital skills mission in the digital strategy for Wales.

In spring of last year, I set out my overall vision for the further education sector in Wales. I made it clear that I expect digital tools and technologies to become a natural part of a learner’s journey, as part of a modern, coherent approach to learning. We already have a strong foundation to help make this ambition a reality. Our strategic framework for digital learning, namely 'Digital 2030', which was published in 2019, was co-produced with the post-16 sector. We are using the vision, aims and objectives set out in 'Digital 2030' to guide investment and support for the sector. 

I want our further education sector in Wales to be at the leading edge of innovation, creativity and collaboration. I am very pleased to see many examples of this type of activity in our FE sector. Our colleges are sharing knowledge and experiences of exploring the use of virtual and augmented reality, exploring creative partnerships with hi-tech industries, and working with partners to deliver digitally focused qualifications.

In December, I wrote to further education college principals to launch a call to action for the FE sector under 'Digital 2030'. Moving on from experiences of emergency remote education during the height of the pandemic, I have asked every college to develop its own strategic plan for digital learning by the end of this academic year. I want to ensure that we embed a sustainable, strategic approach to digital learning and offer high-quality learning experiences that both engage and enthuse our learners. To support this call to action, I have earmarked a total of £8 million capital funding over three academic years for digital equipment and infrastructure improvements in FE institutions. This will bring the total Welsh Government investment in FE digital learning to over £30 million by the end of the 2024-25 academic year. I know that the FE sector supports a very diverse range of individuals, offering a variety of different subjects and qualifications at various levels, and there is no simple one-size-fits-all approach to digital learning, so each college will need to develop its own unique plan.

To ensure that, together, these plans create a cross-cutting strategic approach across the whole of the FE sector, I have set out four key priorities for colleges to reflect in their plans. Firstly, to work collaboratively to widen access to learning opportunities. Secondly, to develop learners’ and staff's digital capabilities and confidence for learning, life and work. Thirdly, to maximise the potential of technology to empower, enthuse and inspire learners, and fourthly, to embed agile, resilient and sustainable approaches to delivery. 

As a result of annual Welsh Government funding, colleges benefit from a comprehensive support offer from Jisc. Jisc will continue to be our key partners for 'Digital 2030', developing our research and evidence base, and ensuring that best practice is shared and, indeed, extended across the post-16 sector. We've commissioned a unique piece of research from Jisc, which will identify the opportunities to use digital and blended learning to create maximum impact into the future. I look forward to the results of this research being shared in the spring. 

The aims of 'Cymraeg 2050', our strategy for increasing the number of Welsh speakers, are very important to this too. The Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol has been working with a range of activities to increase use of the Welsh language, and also to increase capability and confidence in the FE sector, helping colleges and teaching practitioners to use digital technology to support learners’ Welsh language acquisition and to develop Welsh language skills. 

I’m expecting that colleges’ strategic plans will identify longer term ambitions for digital learning, but will focus more closely on the period from 2023 to 2025, whilst the new commission for tertiary education and research is being established. Digital technology offers huge potential to help deliver the commission’s key goals of strengthening collaboration across the post-16 sector, widening opportunities for learners across Wales, and supporting learners’ transition and progression. The call to action will help to ensure that the FE sector is ready to play its part in achieving these goals over the coming years.

Minister, thank you for your statement today. We in the Welsh Conservatives are supportive of the aims and ambitions of the statement, as we all want to see a more digitally adept Wales. And we all recognise that there are major social and financial benefits to be gained from enriching the digital skills of Wales. However, I do have a few concerns about how we ensure that no-one misses out on this, so if you could just allay these fears today, I would be grateful. 

People living in rural Wales who are not online are usually excluded due to problems with broadband provision, both for fixed line and mobile broadband services. There are still many areas of Wales affected by notspots, although the prevalence of these is reported by case study participants to be diminishing. How does your plan ensure that no-one is excluded due to poor broadband provision? 

Another key issue, as you know, is those from lower income families who are more economically inactive and are less likely to visit a website than those in employment. Lower income families and individuals may be affected by access to and affordability of devices and connectivity, as well as not having access to devices or, possibly, networks, meaning that they also may not develop the needed digital knowledge, motivation or skills. So, another question: how are you going to ensure that income and finances don't get in the way of learning these crucial skills? 

And finally, my concern is about those with disabilities or long-term health conditions. Eighty-nine per cent of those with a disability or a long-term health condition use the internet compared to 93 per cent of those without. People with disabilities may require help in identifying appropriate assistive technologies, or could be hindered in their digital learning journey. It is clear that some form of grant or assistance may be needed here to help assist these admirable aims of yours, Minister. So, my final question is: can you tell me what help will be available for those with disabilities or long-term health problems? Thank you, Minister. 

Yes, certainly. As part of the investment of over £30 million that we've made into the expansion of digital provision by the FE sector in recent years—that will be the figure by the end of the 2024-25 academic year—one of they key criteria for investment of that is to make sure that everyone is able to access the provision that results from that. The Member will also recall the significant capital investment that we have made to fund the provision of laptops and tablets in both the school and college sector, so that those individuals who may find it challenging themselves to buy what can often be very expensive equipment are also able to access that kit, that equipment, themselves. So, that's been a very important part of the offer, I think. 

And she's right to identify the variable access to broadband in certain parts of Wales, certainly, as being a particular challenge. What she will know is that, as a Government, this function, as she knows, is a reserved function to Westminster, but regardless of that, we've sought to invest through our superfast broadband and other schemes in order to minimise the number of notspots that exist because of the geography of Wales, And, indeed, as part of the COVID response, you will recall that, as well as providing kit, we also provided connectivity tools as well, so dongles and so on, to ensure that learners weren't excluded in the way that she fears in her question. So, part of the work that has been undertaken over recent years has been specifically focused on making sure that the tools that are developed, the teaching techniques that are deployed, are as accessible as possible, including to those with particular challenges from disability as well as affordability. It's a really important part of the mission behind this to extend those opportunities, and so, I absolutely agree with her that that's an important priority.

Thank you for the statement, Minister, and we welcome this investment in digital skills, particularly in light of the fact that there is increasing demand for digital skills in the jobs market, and this is demand that isn't currently being met, with a lack of advanced digital skills being a concern too expressed by employers.

'Digital 2030' was launched in 2019, so we're now four years into this strategy, and you have noted an investment of £30 million since then. Research demonstrates that interest needs to be engendered early on in subjects such as computer sciences and ICT, and you've referred in your statement to the role of the new curriculum in that regard. But concerns have been expressed that specialist teachers who are not experts in this particular subject are teaching it as a subject in our schools, and we know that the Government's recruitment targets in the education workforce aren't being met, and this is particularly true of Welsh-medium practitioners. So, I’d like to know what the current picture is in this area in terms of our schools and colleges with regard to those who are able to teach these skills and who are subject specialists. Bearing in mind the need for expertise and the relative inconsistency in wages between the public sector and private sector for such skills, how will the Government ensure that FE institutions in Wales have the necessary digital expertise to provide effective digital learning experiences? How does the Welsh Government intend to continue with this commitment in the long term, bearing in mind, as we continue to provide educational opportunities in innovative ways, and with new technologies emerging to meet industry needs, that we also face increased cybersecurity risks that we must also mitigate?

In light of the call to action in 'Digital 2030' to responding to ministerial priorities, particularly working collaboratively to widen access to learning opportunities, what role will the private sector play in supporting digital learning in further education, and how will the Government work with industry partners to achieve its aims in this arena?   

And finally, there is a clear, unfortunately, deficit too in the number of girls studying computer sciences and ICT at GCSE, AS level and A-level. What plans does the Government have to change this via the strategic plan, and how is progress being monitored?

I thank the Member for those questions. I know that she will welcome the work that's already being done to increase the numbers able to teach the sciences, maths and computing, including through the medium of Welsh, and that includes financial incentives, which can be substantial, and other initiatives to attract people to the profession. She finished by asking what we're doing to ensure that more and more pupils choose these courses too, and the question of perception and stereotyping is extremely important in this regard. She will know about the work that we're doing investing in coding and in organisations such as Techniquest, as well as a number of other STEM interventions, and those are particularly focused at attracting girls into the sector for the reasons that she outlined. She talked about skills and how important it was to work with the private sector to meet the need in this regard, and also to provide sufficient professional training for the workforce, so that they can deliver these skills, which are so important.

She will know that we've recently enhanced the individual learning accounts, which have a particular focus on digital skills. That has happened over the past few months. There are also a number of ICT courses available at levels 2 and 3 and 5, and degree level too. So, there's a lot of provision, including cyber security, which she mentioned in her question, which is so important as a growing sector here in Wales, and opportunities do come about as a result of that. In terms of collaboration with the private sector, we've also funded knowledge transfer programmes, so that further education teaching staff can maintain their skills in collaboration with the private sector, and have exchanges with the private sector, so that they can keep their skills up to date, which is so important, as she said, particularly in a sector such as this, which is changing and developing so quickly. 

And finally, in terms of professional learning in terms of the post-16 sector, we have commissioned purpose-made training provision from Jisc, in response to the Estyn recommendations to improve the quality and availability of online and remote learning. So, there is a corpus of training already available, and we are adding to that regularly. 

And finally, Rhun ap Iorwerth. 

Thank you very much. And thank you for allowing me to speak for a few seconds to ask one question, truth be told. I speak as chair of the cross-party group on digital here in the Senedd. It's good to see additional investment going into providing more opportunities to learn digitally, but I wonder whether the Minister can give me an idea of how he sees this fitting into creating the kinds of digital skills that we need for the Welsh economy. The ability to work digitally is one thing, but, through developing those skills, which make learning more interesting, more engaging, we need to keep a weather eye on why we're doing this too, and what benefits we will derive as a society out of developing those skills, and how we, as an economy, are going to benefit too. 

That's an important question. Of course, the main purpose of this is to ensure that the way that we educate learners is as broad as possible, so that people have enhanced opportunities to access diverse courses, and there'll be different demands in different areas in terms of courses in our colleges. But it's also an opportunity—as I mentioned in response to Sioned Williams—it's also an opportunity to ensure that we keep the skills of the FE workforce up to date, so that they can ensure that students' skills are also up to date. There is a range of qualifications already in existence. And in terms of apprenticeships, those are designed with the sector itself, and the legislation that we've just passed as a Senedd will make that even easier and more flexible, so that we can ensure that the sectors that are growing and developing quickly can have a direct voice in how we shape these courses. That's very important indeed. 

I thank the Minister.