 Pwledaeth ni ar galeithwyr bob iddon multiplayer yn skorlau gyllide strikingen a oed ondi o fivon felly datblygu'r wledw i'r ничего. Rhefn oed rainbow tyd ag ein peth o wneud o'r f vern가요i – galla chi'n ein wych drwyil a fefyd mewn greu Europeanization myw fただ genusan â fyd SOC yn gyrs Share Children. I faddiw'r somethiniau mae'n lle hwnnw yn eu bod ounwg. Dill â unsgiwch mae'n llwy democradwy, fe d dess i dda wasな i'r 기억u. Al ddy floodwch eraillstech mewn gweld, so'on yn piŷgau lleol manufactur parlerig a gweld ddud covariad ddiwedd mewn gweld o newid a radish. Felly, we have in some areas completed that assessment phase and moved into developing our approach. There are others, though, and I want to be open about this, where we are still finalising our thinking. I echo the cabinet secretary here, where she said reform was a process, not an event. But being no doubt, my intention is to deliver the change that is needed as quickly and effectively as possible, putting excellence and equity first. I do believe that the time invested now in getting our approach right will pay dividends further down the line. Our post-school education research and school system must deliver in two regards. It must give people the opportunity they need throughout their lifetimes to fulfil their potential, and it must enable the vital research, innovation and knowledge exchange that underpins Scotland's global competitiveness. That is how we will support communities and their economy to thrive. Since June I visited colleges, universities, workplaces, community projects and schools, I have met employers, apprentices, learners and educators. I have also met Opposition spokespeople and I have listened. I have been greatly encouraged by what I have heard, which is a genuine desire to rise to the challenges of reform. Nowhere is this more apparent than among the front-line staff at Skills Development Scotland, the Scottish Funding Council and SAS, where I have been met with enthusiasm and constructed on creative ideas about how to improve our offering to learners and in the areas of careers, apprenticeships and skills planning. Reform is about more than the individual parts. It is about the whole system performing and seeing itself as more than the sum of those parts. Whilst reform must be a collective effort, it is for government to lead and we will lead the system through change, seeking to ensure no one is left behind. Education is a fundamental right, not a privilege. Everyone must have the opportunity to succeed. Community learning and development can be a first step along that path, supporting some of our most vulnerable people. However, eight months into post, I am not as clear as I would want to be as to how effective our current approach is. We need that clarity as we strive to ensure all learning pathways to deliver. That is why I am today announcing a short independent review of community learning. The review will provide causal colleagues and myself with recommendations by June 2024 and will be undertaken by Kate Still, who will bring her extensive experience to bear on the issue. Community learning, though, is only one of many paths available in a modern economy where technical and people-centred skills are increasingly important. There is no wrong or less esteemed path, whether it be via a college, school, work, university or a community initiative. They are all the essential parts of a modern education and skills system. The strength of our universities is rightly recognised around the world. I want to support our college sector to realise their full potential. An important step forward towards that has been the establishment of a tripartite group between Government, the Scottish Funding Council and college principals, engaging directly on matters that the sector will allow them to operate better. There is, I believe, an appetite to expand that approach to encompass other aspects of reform, capturing our universities, employers and others who are keen to champion change across the system. As part of that, I will be inviting representation from university and college principals on to the ministerial group that the cabinet secretary is establishing to reflect their experience as practitioners. I have already set out the intention that Government will lead skills planning at the national level, recognising that we must be clear about the country's strategic skills needs and ensuring that our education and skills system is able to meet those needs. Today, we have looked at skills on a sectoral and regional basis, driven by demand and opportunity, but we need to improve how we translate that analysis into meaningful action. I have already set out my intention to strengthen skills planning at the regional level so that local partners, especially colleges and employers, are empowered to better align provision to regional needs and ambitions. We must take on that challenge with the support of employers, educational institutions, local government and training providers. We all have a role to play in improving skills planning and implementing it for the benefit of Scotland's economy and society. With a refreshed approach to planning, we must make sure that the right qualifications and provision are available where they are needed. Our national qualifications body will have a key role to play, one that will require it to be agile in order to respond to the coming asks. Apprenticeships will continue to be a vital part of this mix. Modern apprenticeships have been a huge success and they are an area where I want colleges to play an even more instrumental role. Graduate apprenticeships show real promise with scope for further development. I look forward to working with universities and industry on that. My officials will lead further development of apprenticeship policy, bringing together the full variety of voices and creative and new thinking to deliver the best outcomes for learners and employers. I am also keen to explore how to develop apprenticeship pathways, for example through modularisation, to make it easier for small, including rural businesses, to better benefit. Employers will continue to be central to the design and delivery of apprenticeships, as they should be to all provision. I have asked my officials to review and strengthen how we work with and across all sectors. Of course, in reforming the system, we must address funding. The cabinet secretary and I have since come into our roles had to make some incredibly difficult decisions and the recent UK budget statement does little to improve the outlook for Scotland. In an era where both main UK parties are intent on doubling down on austerity, more than ever, this means that every pound invested here must deliver for Scotland's people. To do that, we need to reduce complexities, making sure that more investment supports learners, while ensuring that funding makes the greatest impact. That will be done in line with our principles and the key principle that education should be based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay. In the same way as we have brought people together for the tripartite group, we will draw on the wealth of professional and practitioner experience across the system to develop and design our future funding landscape to deliver the best value for money and the most seamless service for learners. Change of this magnitude will not happen overnight. In some instances, it may best be delivered incrementally. James Withers called for the creation of a single funding body, and we do not rule that out. As an initial step and today committing to bringing together learner support funding into one place and funding for apprenticeship provision into one place, we will work closely with SSC, SAS and SDS on how we make this happen. Let me also be clear, though, that public funding alone will not be enough. That has been and will be a key feature of discussions with businesses with whom I have already embarked on a series of round-table discussions, and I have been heartened by the engagement in this space. Our system must meet their needs, but we must also look at where business can go further to support the system and learners. I know many stand ready and willing to do that. For those in the education system, we must ensure that the right information and advice is there to help them to make informed choices on their future. Graham Smith is doing important work for us with the careers collaborative. It brings together many partners that support and contribute to careers information, advice and guidance, in addition, of course, to SDS. Our immediate focus is developing a clearer, more coherent MO for our national careers offering. Between the careers service sitting presently with an SDS, developing the young workforce network and third sector initiatives like career ready, we have the foundations to develop that careers offering that we can be truly proud of, and that is what we will do. I do not believe that we need to necessarily wait on structural change to begin progressing that. Presiding Officer, I am under no illusion about the scale of change required at the time. It, in certain respects, will take to deliver. But today I can say without hesitation that the Government will take the lead on national skills planning and will strengthen regional approaches. There will be simpler, more impactful funding for learners and providers. There will be changes to apprenticeships that will better reflect economic and learner needs. There will be improvements in the quality and clarity of our careers offering, and there will be a clear role for employers throughout. We will take this forward with experts and practitioners, whilst listening attentively to users. We will be guided by their knowledge and their experience. But I also know that to deliver real reform requires commitment and direction from Government, which is where my focus lies. I look forward to continuing engagement with the Parliament on this. Presiding Officer. Thank you. The Minister will now take questions on the issues raised in his statement. I intend to allow you up to 20 minutes, after which we will need to move on to the next item of business. I encourage members who haven't already done so. We wish to ask a question to press their request to speak buttons. Call first, Liam Kerr. Presiding Officer, today's PISA results make stark the need for action. If it's seven months on from the Wither's report, we've seen little progress and even an admission that, after eight months, the Minister doesn't quite know what's working and what's not. The Minister has rightly said before that this is a constantly changing landscape, and without action we risk being left behind. Minister, on this single funding body, can you give us any timeline on when this is actually going to happen and what the process will be and what format it will take? On the National Employers Forum suggested by Wither's, but not mentioned in the statement, what is his thinking and what will be the role of Saab within that? When will we finally know his view on the amount and payment of the flexible workforce development fund? Minister. Presiding Officer, a lot there. On the single funding body, I do hope that the member would recognise that this is a very complex piece of work to carry out, not least of all involving the staff who will be captured by it. It's appropriate to take the right time to develop our consideration of this. I have to say to him gently that James Willis himself has, I think, welcomed the measured approach we've taken to this, because we have to get this right. On the subject of the Employers Forum, that is something we're looking at. He talked there about Saab. Let me be clear here. We want and we need the widest range of employers' voices heard in this. I met, for example, the Federation of Small Business just last week and emphasised that. But as I made clear when I met the Saab board some months ago, we want and we would envisage their expertise, the expertise of their members, helping to drive and deliver reform locally and nationally. I should say I've also committed to embedding the recommendations of the Agender Commission into the skills system through the reform process. Daniel Johnson. First of all, I thank the Minister for Advanced Sight of his statement. As he knows, this is an incredibly important area, one that we need to get right if we're going to address the opportunities and challenges that we face in our economy. Again, six months on from where there's been a fit of six or seven, I just worry that whether or not we have sufficient clarity, specifically regarding the what, the how and the when of reform. First of all, will a timeline come forward on the timing of implementation across the 14 recommendations in where there is? Will we have clarity on institutions, whether it's existing or new institutions that are going to take forward the roles of funding, qualifications and employer voice? Lastly, and perhaps most urgently, we need a plan for delivering flexible skills at the point of need for upskilling and reskilling. That doesn't need structural reform, so will that plan be forthcoming since it's the number one ask from business? Answering these questions would address the urgency and clarity so badly needed by the sector. Minister. To deal with the last point first, I absolutely agree with the member on that. The reskilling and upscilling piece of work is something that can be done without structural change and has been the subject of discussions in the last few days between myself and employers, but also the college sector, because that is a real opportunity for them as well. So that is something we are attempting to progress. I absolutely get his point about quality as soon as possible, but I'm sure that if we dive into this a year from now, two years from now, we'll be pulling the opper bit errors that had been made because we didn't take our time to consider that. On the point about developing a timeline, I absolutely get that. We need to provide Parliament and the stakeholders with a clearer idea of the timelines around it. Some of us can be done relatively quickly without structural change, without legislation. Others will require that sort of work, so we will seek to deliver that as soon as we possibly can. Ivan McKee to be full about Ross McCall. Workplace learning, including apprenticeships, provides the most effective route for skills acquisition for learners and for employers. Can I ask what the skills review will do to increase opportunities for workplace learning across the skills system? Workplace learning, including apprenticeships, co-design with employers is an integral part of a strong education in skills system. I believe that the reforms that are planned, particularly on how employers will play a central role in the system, will help to strengthen the links between business skills and education to integrate more workplace learning and help to support current and future workforce needs. That is certainly the intention. Ross McCall to be full about Bill Kidd. Thank you. As a beneficiary of an apprenticeship programme after school, I know where that path can lead. Apprenticeships is often the forgotten pillar of post-school education. However, apprenticeships are key to upscaling and providing a workforce delivering for Scotland. The available funding remains minimal, and the statement, whilst referencing the bringing together of funding for apprenticeship provision, does not actually commit to more funding. Can the minister therefore guarantee to spend every penny raised through apprenticeship levies on apprenticeships? Minister. I do not know who is forgotten about apprenticeships. It is certainly not me. I have to say that the commitment to apprenticeships is hardly minimal. Very substantial sums of funding are provided for the delivery of apprenticeships. As I have indicated earlier in my statement, apprenticeships and other guidance, foundation apprenticeships, graduate apprenticeships and MAs will play an integral part in the work that we are going to do going forward. Bill Kidd, to be followed by Pam Duncan-Glancy. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can the minister expand on how he thinks training and course provision might be better aligned with the needs of employers? Minister. This is one of the conversations that I have been having with employers. We want to see training and course provision respond better to Scotland's economic and social needs and future ambitions, which I am sure is exactly what employers would want too. This is the heart of the skills planning approach that we are developing, together with employers, providers and other partners. Our aim is to embed the role of employers in all aspects of the skills system, which includes skills planning at the national regional levels and training, course provision, qualifications and career services. For example, part of our national skills planning approach, I am asking my colleagues in government to identify our national economic and social priorities across portfolios, engage with employers to identify specific skills needs relevant to those priorities, and that is not just the numbers of people required, and engage with training and education providers to understand how we can meet those needs. Pam Duncan-Glancy, to be followed by John Mason. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Once again, as I imagine many will be sorely disappointed that the Government has come to the chamber with another statement with a little substance in it, nothing that they have said today, I think, will give reassurance to the sector. Colleges are really struggling. Finances are broken. Staff are tired and angry. Students are seeing courses at risk of being cut, and in some cases there are serious questions over governance. Universities are in a similar difficult position. More people defer an entry, withdrawing and institutions base a huge gap between the cost of providing education and the funding they get to do it. Minister, to take the opportunity now to say what specific action will the Government take to address these immediate concerns? Minister. Presiding Officer, with the greatest respect, I do think that that question may have been penned before Pam Duncan-Glancy saw this statement. This presentation about the college sector and how it's broken is not one that I recognise at all. I visit colleges the length and breadth of the country. There's good, innovative work being done there. I don't think they would appreciate being characterised in that way either. My conversations with colleges have been entirely productive. Now, of course, finances are an issue. There are great challenges there, but the college sector are as up as anyone is for taking on this challenge. Joe Mason to be followed by Willie Rennie. Thank you. I wonder if the minister can say anything about how he sees the role of Skills Development Scotland. My understanding is that James Withers is recommending a reduction in their role. I wonder if there is an opportunity to reduce the number of organisations involved at the moment. Minister. Skills Development Scotland remains an integral part of our education and skills system. It continues to undertake valuable work in a variety of areas such as career services and apprenticeship delivery. Over the last few months, I've had the opportunity to meet a number of staff teams in SDS and have been struck by their passion, creativity and desire to improve our offer to individuals and employers. We need for changes in the public body landscape in the future, but it's too early to speculate in exactly what those changes will be. These decisions will be taken based on the evidence informed by detailed policy development and analysis. What's clear, though, in light of budget pressures and the overall drive for public service reform, is that the status quo is not an option. Willie Rennie to be followed by Ruth Maguire. The minister knows that I've been critical of predecessors and their in-action the skills agenda and also the underfunding in colleges, but I have to say that I'm moderately satisfied with this plan. A single source of skills funding, a national career service and a central place for employers. Can I just press them a little bit more detail on the flexible workforce development fund? Is that continuing? Can he give us a sense of how urgent he thinks this reform should be? Minister. I could say that I'm deeply concerned that Willie Rennie is moderately satisfied but that would be childish of me. On the point about the pace of reform we will go as quickly as it's possible to go. I look forward to engaging Mr Rennie at the committee next month where I'm sure we'll have the opportunity to get into this in more detail. On the flexible workforce development fund I hope to be in a position to make an announcement on the funding for this year very shortly. I fully understand the desire for clarity with regard to the future and the whole piece on upskilling and reskilling and training and how this is delivered is something that we are actively exploring as part of the wider offering. I agree with the minister that everyone must have the opportunity to succeed and community learning and development is crucial in supporting some of our most vulnerable people. Can I ask how the minister envisaged community learning and development interacting with the post-school reform agenda? The independent review of CLD offers a timely opportunity to better understand how we can ensure that the proposed changes to the education and skills system has a focus on the most marginalised learner. The review links directly to reforming the education and skills landscape. Without prejudicing the outcome I think that connecting this work has a potential to create a fully more joined up system which has clear routes for progression for adults and young people who currently disengage from learning and or work and to be blunt as the minister leading in reform I want to be as confident as I can be that we aren't leaving anyone behind. Whoever to be followed by Kate Forbes Thanks, Presiding Officer. The minister speaks of the need to reduce complexities and he will be aware of the recommendations from the recent report on college regionalisation. In the minister's statement we hear of the need to make sure more investment supports learners while ensuring funding makes the greatest impact. Despite this, your statement makes no reference to the disparity in funding between university and college students, with college students receiving £2,500 less investment per person than university students in Scotland. Will the minister guarantee parity of funding between university and college students? The member makes an important point about the landscape, but I would point out to her that James Withers is very clear that there is no shortage of funding in the post-16 landscape. It's just that there is duplication and he questions where some of that is deployed. I'm not going to stand here today and start off a bun fight between colleges and university about funding. I remember from serving on the committee with Sue Webber that this was evidence that we took. What I do recognise is that we need to have a detailed conversation with all parts of the landscape about future funding and how we ensure fairness of funding. Kate Forbes, to be followed by Stephen Kerr. The minister, like all of us, will know that Covid has undoubtedly had an impact on our young people. My question is how the minister will ensure that our young people are, particularly those who are now furthest from employment as a result of that impact, have the skills and qualifications they need to succeed. Ensuring that that happens is heavily dependent on partners in this and I pay tribute to all of them in that regard. I'm keen that we build on the excellent work led by DYW, Career Ready and the many other partnerships that are already in place linking institutions and employers to increase the range and the scope of access to meaningful work experience opportunities for learners. Where possible it's clearly beneficial for these opportunities to have direct relevance to the learners' abilities and interests. However, we should also recognise that work experience in itself brings many benefits and development for learners. I would encourage us to consider what high quality work experience opportunities they might be able to offer to learners and to help us to expand the offer and know this will be of mutual benefit to them and the learners. Stephen Kerr, to be followed by Douglas Holmes. I like the minister. I enjoyed being on the education committee with him but he's come to the chamber where this statement has nothing really in it and I don't know whether that's to meet a commitment that was made to make a commitment to get excited about. I'm delighted he has an appetite for reform but employers are impatient because they see and are living with the consequences of a skills crisis. Demand for apprenticeships is outstripping the supply that the government is prepared to fund. They pay many of these businesses an apprenticeship levy. The fact is that not every penny of that levy is going into apprenticeships and that is just not right. Will the minister confirm that it is the intention of the cabinet secretary and himself to see that every penny of the apprenticeship levy that is accrued for apprenticeship schemes in Scotland is actually spent on apprenticeships and that that demand that there really is out there among employers is met by the supply he will get. It's impossible to answer that question and I'll tell you why because Mr Kerr's Government in the UK does not share with us the figures for the apprenticeship levy that's raised in Scotland. We are blind to that. It has been incorporated into the block grant. What I can tell Mr Kerr is that a very substantial sum of money is spent on apprenticeships in this country. I have to say, Presiding Officer, the negativity from Stephen Kerr, predictable though it is, is it completely at odds with the positive engagement that I've had with employers? Yes, they are anxious that we got on with this. I have found only positivity among employers, long with that continue. Douglas Longston. On the single funding body, how will the minister guarantee that university autonomy will not be threatened by any plans? Minister. I think the member is referring to the research aspect of this which is a concern that the universities have aired. We're very much alive to that and it's very much enough thinking as we take this forward. Minister, that concludes this item of business. There'll be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business to allow Front Benches to change.