What plans does the Welsh Government have to improve the provision of vocational education through the medium of Welsh?
On the 12 December 2017 the Welsh Government published its response to the review of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedalethol which included accepting a key recommendation made by the review group to expand the remit of the Coleg to include the further education and work based learning sectors. The Coleg have been instructed to establish a specialist Advisory Board made up of stakeholders with representation from the further education and work-based learning sectors to advise on future interventions required to develop Welsh-medium post-16 provision which will be developed into a formal action plan. This action plan will be developed in partnership between the Coleg and Welsh Government officials. The Advisory board will meet for the first time on 26 January.
To coincide with the establishment of the Advisory Board, the Coleg will establish an internal delivery group, from its current staff, to support the work of the board and to lead on the initial interventions in further education and work based learning sectors and respond to the new responsibilities.
The action plan will begin to deliver changes during the period before the new Post Compulsory Education and Training Commission is established and this will lead to a more integrated post-16 Welsh-medium policy in line with the future responsibilities of the Commission.