Will the Minister provide an update on the progress made against the recommendations of the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee report into regional skills partnerships in the Fifth Senedd?
We have set a refreshed direction for Regional Skills Partnerships (RSPs) in this financial year and going forward. Actions linked to the report have been taken forward as outlined below:
- Funding for RSPs has been reviewed, with a decision to substantially increase funding per RSP and move to a three-year grant agreement.
- We are finalising the RSPs’ schedule of activity for their new grant. This will include production of more strategic three-year regional employment and skills plans which will present analysis of skill requirements in each region, picking up on any low-skill issues. RSPs will engage with a range of employers and providers in the production of these plans.
- Many of the Graystone report’s recommendations had already been implemented at the time of the committee’s inquiry and further action has since taken place linked to these recommendations, such as increasing the resourcing available to RSPs.
- We will continue to look at how the data gathering and analysis capabilities of RSPs can be improved, including in relation to Welsh language skills and also how the impact of RSPs can best be measured.
Linked to the RSP agenda, we have committed to participate in the UK Employer Skills Survey 2022, which will provide detailed quantitative intelligence on a range of regional skills issues and will help inform the RSPs.
We have also included a commitment to strengthen RSPs in the Programme for Government and a fourth RSP, covering Mid Wales, was established from April 2021.