New Action Plan Addresses Skills And Employment Challenges

02.06.04

The Consultation Document on the Skills and Employment Action Plan 2004 has been directly informed by the Future Skills Wales 2003 Generic Skills Survey, and shows how evidence from the Survey is being used to inform and influence policy development.

The Minister said:

“There is a huge economic and social case for improving Wales’ skills base. Skills are a route to stable employment, higher wages, long-term prosperity and increased confidence, well being and social cohesion.

“There have been many initiatives in the past aimed at boosting skills and employment levels. But our Skills and Employment Action Plan sets out a clear and coherent framework for genuine action. And this has been a catalyst to successfully engage a wide range of stakeholders to work together across the learning and economic agendas.”

The new Action Plan takes forward and builds upon the work begun in the original Plan, published in 2002, under 4 main sections.

• a. Improving the Mechanisms for Workforce Development
• b. Supplying New Entrants to the Labour Market with the Skills Needed for Employment
• c. Working with Employers and Employees to Improve Skills
• d. Helping More People into Sustained Employment

The Plan consults on a range of measures which are a mixture of improving existing programmes, and introducing new ideas plus joint working arrangements with key agencies such as ELWa, HEFCW, WDA, Jobcentre Plus, Careers Wales and Sector Skills Councils; and with employers and trade unions through the Skills Concordat and the Future Skills Wales Partnership. The proposals include:

• A joint project with Jobcentre Plus to help inactive people overcome the barriers preventing them from taking up employment opportunities.
• A new sectoral approach to skills development building on the emerging network of Sector Skills Councils operating in Wales, supported by ELWa through sector skills agreements and targeted support for key sectors of importance in Wales.
• A new Skills Observatory to generate joined up intelligence on the economy, labour market skills and learning in Wales.
• A six point plan to address Key Skills including a promotion campaign aimed at individual learners.
• The development of combined apprenticeships allowing young people to combine learning in school or college with practical learning in the workplace.
• A joint approach to business support by ELWa and the WDA combining business advice and management development.
• Introducing a new-skills passport for the self-assessment and recording of IT skills.
  Responses to the consultation document are invited by 19 July. These will inform the final version of the Plan for publication in the Autumn. Once agreed, the plan will be taken forward by the Future Skills Wales Partnership.

The consultation document can be found at: http://www.learning.wales.gov.uk/pdfs/seap-04-cons-e.pdf

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