34 Education
THE HERALD FRIDAY FEBRUARY 10 2017
Follow us on Twitter @pembsherald
APPRENTICESHIPS are an
essential ingredient of economic success, a vital tool in building a stronger, fairer and more equal Wales and it is crucial that apprentices have the right skills to meet current and future business needs. That is the message from Skills and
Science Minister, Julie James, as she launched the Welsh Government’s new Apprenticeship policy on Tuesday (Feb 7).
Aligning the Apprenticeship model
to the needs of the Welsh Economy sets out the Welsh Government’s vision for addressing the needs of Welsh businesses and the wider economy and has been designed to increase skills levels in priority areas, including where shortages have been reported. Developed in consultation with
Mohammad Ashgar: ‘Welsh Labour Government has a very poor record’
businesses, the policy and its five year action plan sets out how the Welsh Government will support the delivery of its manifesto and Taking Wales Forward commitment to create a minimum of 100,000 high quality apprentices in Wales over this Assembly term by focussing on four priority areas: Increasing the number of apprentices aged 16-19 by increasing the take-up of
AT A meeting of Higher
Education Institutions in Wales held in Cardiff on January 31, Student Finance Wales confirmed that loans will be available for Welsh domiciled students studying master’s level courses in the 2017/18 academic year. The announcement was made
ahead of confirmation of the policy by Cabinet Secretary for Education Kirsty Williams, which was made on Wednesday, February 8. The loans will match those
currently available in England, with students able to borrow up to £10,280 towards the costs of postgraduate study at any UK university. EU students will also be eligible to apply for a Welsh postgraduate loan if they plan to study at a Welsh university. Both full and part-time courses are
eligible for the loans, with repayments starting once students are earning over
£21,000 per year. The loans aim to widen access
to postgraduate study, ensuring that Welsh students have the necessary skills and qualifications to compete in the global economy. The Herald contacted the Welsh
Government for confirmation of the leaked news. Cabinet Secretary for Education
Kirsty Williams said: “I am pleased to confirm that we will be able to introduce a postgraduate loan scheme for students ordinarily resident in Wales for the academic year 2017/18, subject to appropriate legislation being made. “I anticipate that the scheme
will comprise a loan of £10,280 for students ordinarily resident in Wales undertaking taught or research courses leading to the award of a Master’s degree.
Kirsty Williams: Widening access to postgraduate study
“The course may be full or part
time and based anywhere in the United Kingdom. Support will be available to students beginning courses on or after 1 August 2017 only. The full and final details of the proposed loan will be made public when draft regulations are laid with the National Assembly in the spring of 2017.”
quality apprenticeships amongst school leavers. • Addressing skills
shortages
by developing apprenticeships particularly in growth and emerging sectors such as the ICT, Engineering, Construction and Financial and Professional Services
• Developing higher level skills by focussing on apprenticeships at level 4 and above where returns tend to be higher
• Developing skills pathways by integrating apprenticeships into the wider education system and making it easier for someone to enter into an apprenticeship from another learning route Skills and Science Minister, Julie
James said: “This policy highlights our intention to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, which will require higher levels of competence than in the past. “It also contains a stronger focus on
both technical and professional skills needed for high quality employment opportunities within our communities. This will send a strong message about the value of apprenticeships and technical education in supporting people into sustainable employment and self- employment.” The policy and supporting
information also outlines how the impact of the Apprenticeship Levy – a UK Government employment tax due to come into effect on 6 April 2017 – will be managed in Wales. The Minister added: “We have said
all along that this levy directly conflicts with areas of devolved responsibility, completely overlooks and undermines our very distinctive approach to supporting apprenticeships in Wales and its introduction means that no new significant money is coming to Wales.” “To help minimise the impact of the
levy in Wales the Welsh Government is taking a different approach to its counterparts in England, one which is better aligned to and supports the growing needs of Wales, its people and economy.” Support for businesses to recruit
new apprentices is already available in Wales and will continue to be available to both levy and non-levy paying employers provided the funding supports apprentices in the identified priority
areas. To deliver these priorities the Welsh
Government will be increasing its investment in apprenticeships from £96m to £111.5m for 2017-18. This brings our total investment in apprenticeships and traineeships next year to over £126m. Of the additional funding, £15.5m
will be invested this year to ensure that both public and private sector employers are not disadvantaged as a result of the Apprenticeship Levy. However, according to Shadow
Cabinet Secretary for Skills, Mohammad Asghar, large employers will feel cheated by the Cabinet Secretary’s refusal to ring fence the money they will receive from the UK Government’s Apprenticeship Levy.
He said: “The Welsh Labour
Government has a very poor record in delivering high quality training opportunities for young people, and large employers will feel cheated by the Cabinet Secretary’s refusal to ring fence the money they will receive from the UK Government’s Apprenticeship Levy. “It is also deeply disappointing that
the Welsh Government’s target for new training places is significantly lower than the number they achieved during the last Assembly term. “The ‘additional’ funding announced
today is very much a case of the Welsh Government giving with one hand and taking away with another, having recently scrapped its scheme for concessionary bus fares for young people. “Frankly, leading employers in Wales
are crying out for greater communication from the Welsh Government about apprenticeships and the impact of the levy.
“Yet the additional funding
announced in today’s statement provides assurances for one year only, and there are still clear concerns across the industry over the long term future.” Julie James said: “Our public services
are essential to maintain functions related to education, fire services, waste management, social services and healthcare. We are committed to working with public sector organisations to help them achieve greater consistency and meet future challenges. This will include the publication of specific apprenticeship plans for Local Authorities, the NHS and the ‘blue light’ services.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
