Delivering Skills That Work for Wales Cyflawni Sgiliau sy’n Gweithio i Gymru

The Wales Perspective

Dennis Gunning

Director of Skills, HE and Lifelong Learning

Welsh Assembly Government

Delivering Skills That Work for Wales

Cyflawni Sgiliau sy’n Gweithio i Gymru

Learning and skills in Wales

• Context

• Legislation and public administration

• Distinctive Welsh strategy and policy

• Future directions?

Delivering Skills That Work for Wales

Cyflawni Sgiliau sy’n Gweithio i Gymru

Context

• Industrial legacy: geography

• Economy – SMEs, public sector, few HQs or R&D

• Devolution – 10 years young

• Political and strategic direction in One Wales

• Leitch, UKCES and WESB

• Impact of economic downturn – skills to the fore

Delivering Skills That Work for Wales

Cyflawni Sgiliau sy’n Gweithio i Gymru

Legislation and public administration

• Westminster < > Cardiff Bay relationship

• One department for education and training

- but economic development? employment?

• Quangos have been bonfired

• Barnett – fair formula or flexible friend?

Delivering Skills That Work for Wales

Cyflawni Sgiliau sy’n Gweithio i Gymru

Distinctive Welsh strategy and policy

• Collaboration, not competition

• Pathways and participation

• The Leitch agenda and Wales

• Supply-side reforms

• Focus on key programmes

Delivering Skills That Work for Wales

Cyflawni Sgiliau sy’n Gweithio i Gymru

Future directions?