Skills Agenda underachieving due to lack of investment (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
English

Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

Skills Agenda underachieving due to lack of investment

June 18, 2008 3:20 PM

The Welsh Liberal Democrats will today accuse the Assembly Government of failing to invest in the future of Wales at all levels of Education.

Kirsty Williams, Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Education, will say that from cradle to crib the WAG are failing the people of Wales by not properly investing in Early years education, in Further Education and in Higher Education. In doing so they are refusing long-term investment in Wales' social and economic well being and development.

Following a below inflation settlement the FE sector is facing job and course cuts across Wales. It has been announced that 23 senior managers at Yale College in Wrexham have been offered voluntary redundancy after the college's budget was frozen at £17.238m for the year.

Kirsty said: "Our economy is suffering due to the shortage of a skilled work force - WAG accepts and acknowledges this in its policies and yet does not follow this through into funding allocations - preferring gimmicks such as free laptops.

"The FE sector is facing job losses, as seen in Yale today, at a time when all experts are saying that we must invest in improving the skills of the work force.

"Welsh FE colleges have been given a 1.45% increase overall in their allocations from the Assembly this year (2008/09). Inflation is currently more than twice that level; this means in real terms they've had a cut in funding.

"Whilst I welcome WAGs funding drive under the 14-19 Pathways, this comes at a time when we have an ever aging population and most of the 2020 working population is already in employment. We must therefore balance this funding with investment in adult learning and support for the FE sector in this area."

"The FE sector is being pushed by WAG towards greater collaboration and yet their lack of sufficient funding is having the effect of increasing competition for limited resources and students.

Notes:

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have been leading the education debate, putting forward minority party debates on Foundation Phase, Higher Education and now Further Education.

Today's debate reads:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes that the Further Education sector in Wales has received a real-terms cut in funding for 2008/09.

2. Believes that this cut will have an adverse impact on the sector.

3. Calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to assess whether this level of funding is sufficient to deliver the Welsh Assembly Government's skills strategy.