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Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru |
National Assembly for Wales |
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Pwyllgor yr Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau |
Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee |
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Partneriaeth Sgiliau Rhanbarthol |
Regional Skills Partnerships |
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EIS(5) RSP01 |
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Ymateb gan Cadeirydd Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol, RLSP de-orllewin a Chanolbarth Cymru |
Evidence from Health and Social Care Chair, South West and Mid Wales RLSP
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The data used by the Regional Learning and Skills Partnership (RLSP) is gathered from a number of sources:
Welsh Government data – this is the data source that the RSP’s are encouraged to use as baseline data however the data is often over 18 months out of date and it is not received by the RSP’s until at least May which only allows the RSP’s 2 months to use the data to support the writing of the main report that is submitted in July. This data is also out of date because the information that the providers have is far more time sensitive. The colleges also use EMSI data to inform their provision, a system that the RSP’s need to ensure that we are all working from the same page.
Other data sources that we use is through the engagement with the businesses across all sectors. This data is up to date and brings to the report a clear understanding of what is required in terms of skills training and support for recruitment of staff.
Specific Social Care
evidence from grass roots is accurate and up to date, often
recording issues & challenges of the day.
The RLSP Board is driven by the Private sector with an Industry chair driving the Board and supported by the chairs of the 8 industry cluster group, industry representatives for the Swansea Bay City Deal; Mid Wales Growth Deal and the two Enterprise Zones.
The purpose of the cluster groups is to gather specific information from each of the cluster groups on what the areas of concern are on training and skills development in their sector. The Chair of each of the cluster groups represent the views of their sector on the main RLSP Board. The group representatives are encouraged to share information about the work of the Cluster group and to get other businesses to join or to work with the RLSP by completing the on line skills and training survey. This survey is circulated to over 10,000 businesses across the region through the database that the RLSP holds; through working with the Regional Economic Development officers within the Local Authorities; through the membership bodies e.g FSB, ECITB, CITB, Chambers of Commerce; Health Board partnerships etc.
The RSP officers also attend a number of business events across the region to inform business groups who have not previously engaged about the work of the RSP’s and to gain information from these companies on the skills issues.
In my case, I sit on the West Wales Workforce Development Group as an employer & RSLP representative + SCW apprenticeship Group, + Chair Pembrokeshire Care Managers Group, + Registered Manager SCW + Attend all regional care meetings + member of WAG Social care Think Tank (if still operating?). I share, feedback 360’ & represent others views when appropriate.
My biggest challenge
is most employers are small owner run, with many commitments for
care based meetings, despite my opinion that this is important,
most are happy that others are dealing with it.
How do the key City and Growth Deal roles of the RLSPs influence their Welsh Government remit?
The remit of both roles is clearly defined, the RSP’s role in publishing the annual Employment and Skills Plan involves gathering information to inform the provision of skills training over a 3 year period (current reports) by working with Industry and the providers to map out what is already being provided and what needs to change to meet the needs of the businesses across all sectors in the region.
The City and Growth Deal role will compliment this role but will be specifically looking at skills requirements for the 10 projects in relation to the City Deal and these will be longer term skills (15- 20 years) and will potentially be skills that are currently not being delivered in the region or possibly in Wales. The role of the RLSP here will be to work with the 10 projects, the Universities and the Colleges across the region to ensure that we can provide this training and what needs to change within the current provision including the upskilling of teachers/lecturers and training providers. This work will also need to involve the schools and the RLSP has already been working with Head Teachers across the region to identify the best way of achieving this. This will be imperative to ensure that we can enthuse the young to consider the pathways that will give them opportunities to work in the region and potentially to gain the necessary skills and training in the region too
The work of the Growth Deal in Mid Wales will follow a similar path but the projects have to be determined but the RSP is aware that skills and talent (and the retention of young talent) is a key driver for the growth deal.
The benefit to the businesses of the RSP’s working on both areas has to be the information that we are gathering supports both and they are not being asked numerous times for the same information.
The RSP will develop
clear working protocols to deal with both deals.
The work that the RSP undertakes is evidence based via LMI data and stakeholder engagement. We can identify the broader direction and the primary issues that each of the sectors are raising but the very specialist skills in the longer term will be more difficult because the industry itself does not recognise some of these needs.
Working with the Universities and colleges there is some clear evidence of the type of training needed and some of the more specialist sector bodies e.g CITB; ECITB and Food Industry sector skills board have all identified skills gaps that are not all full time provision skills but more niche specialist skills required in that specific sector.
My two years’ service suggest that the Chairs do understand what their sector needs, and regularly agree common themes that should be listened to. If something is not working, and there are no changes, then we continue to get it wrong. Wales has a lot of untapped potential talent.
We need to understand how train those that need it.
The foundational economy is important to the South West and Mid Wales region with a whole range of different skill sets required to support the various industries. These needs are identified within the skills surveys distributed by the Skills Partnership and are considered within the cluster groups specifically Food and Land Management; Tourism, Retail and Leisure and the Health and Social Care groups.
Brexit is also an area that will impact these sectors and the Skills Partnership has evidence from Industry to demonstrate this. In our case 20% of the workforce.
The RLSP works with the Industry to understand their needs for skills through the medium of Welsh and how much Welsh is used within their business. A specific question is contained within the RSP survey and there is discussion at all sector cluster groups on how important the Welsh language is in their businesses.
An example of the type of issue that has arisen
is the training of health care workers through the medium of Welsh
to ensure that there is sufficient number of people trained in this
area who can converse through the medium of Welsh as well as having
an understanding of the role through the language. What is
needed is training, learning to speak Welsh, not paying for
certification.
The RLSP works in a cyclical process. Having completed three annual Employment and Skills Plans the process and timelines are planned around consultation, supporting activity and drafting and completing the plan. The RLSP is resourced (£165,000 per annum) to support the majority of the work undertaken, (this funding pays for a small team together with a contribution towards office accommodation and travel and subsistence costs), but this is not sufficient to meet the growing demands.
However the need for stronger secondary evidence and data is growing to strengthen the RLSP’s ability to produce evidence based plans and it is therefore necessary to have timely secondary data that can complement the primary data gathered by the RLSP and additional funding is required in order to achieve this.
The annual fee received from Welsh Government is an annual agreement is also of concern because there is no continuity of contract available for the staff working within the RLSP. An ideal scenario would be a 3 year contract to support the production of a 3 year plan.
I think that the
employer support, given freely, with enthusiasm, should be
acknowledged. With the advent of Chair requirements for
appraisals etc more time will be required to fill duties.
Is there an appropriate balance between the work of the RSPs and wider views on skills demand?
The work of the RSP’s is done in a two pronged approach. Whilst employer engagement is undertaken to capture primary level intelligence this is then complimented by secondary data sources. We take account of wider views on skills demands via a number of Welsh Government approved reports such as; Employer Skills Survey and the Employer Perspective Survey.
These provide intelligence at a regional level on a number of issues and skills challenges facing businesses. The surveys utilised by the RSP’s to gather local level intelligence are based on the questions asked within these studies therefore it is possible to make comparisons where necessary. We also look at cross-border skills issues as this can affect the movement of labour and one of the major issues for Wales as a whole – Brain Drain. This involves sharing intelligence between the three RSPs and being aware of skills issues within the English border counties.
The Regional Skills Partnerships offer a co-ordinated approach to the development and delivery of skills provision across Wales. There is currently no better or alternative method or vehicle to ensure that the employer voice is heard by Welsh Government. The focus placed on the Regional Skills Partnership by Welsh Government Departments is welcomed by industry as the Regional Skills Partnerships become recognised by Industry as a vehicle for change.
The Greystone review emphasised the transparency of the Regional Skills Partnerships and the cohesiveness and closer working between the three.
This is something that each partnership is committed to and approaches have already been amended to ensure that there is greater parity between approaches for the next planning years. e.g same skills survey being utilised by the three so the same information will be used to make recommendations.
It would be fair to say that this is an area that could be improved. There are limitations to what we can do as an RLSP with the remit placed by Welsh Government to only focus on Full time FE provision and WBL provision. It would be beneficial to look at the entirety of the learning landscape to include Higher Education and schools level provision. i.e. the whole 14-19 picture. This would be welcomed by both providers and the RSPs. In addition, it would make operational sense to view post-16 policy as education and not economy. Failing this there needs to be a closer alignment between the two policy areas as they are so deeply connected. This would also align to the PCET reforms.
There needs to be a
greater commitment provided by Welsh Government to ensure that the
level of operational detail provided meets the needs of both
providers and the RSPs. This would allow the process to become much
more focussed and efficient. The disconnect between detail provided
to the RSPs and the providers can result in challenges and problems
arising during the consultation phase which can take away from the
task at hand.
Whilst the Welsh Government’s vision to increase the number of people achieving levels 4,5 and 6 qualifications is something that we all aspire to achieve in real terms to increase the GVA of the region this conflicts with the needs identified by Industry and Colleges is that the demand is for the levels 1,2 and 3. This is compounded by the high number of students leaving school without the basic skills (English and Maths to a level C or above) or work ready skills which means that colleges have to deliver these skills as well as the vocational skills that the young student has enrolled for. There is a need for an additional vocational offer within schools to meet the demands of students who are not academic to develop a pathway for these young people to gain the higher level skills through an alternative route i.e apprenticeships and vocational training.
It is not a matter of aspiration, it is agreed that there must be a route for those that want it and can respond. However within care there is reluctance to do any level of qualification, L2 must be supported for the majority of the sector. Funding priorities should not encourage some providers to deliver inappropriate L5 in Social Care.
In Social Care it has
been a long-term issue that classroom qualifications were of no use
in a residential home, and the employee had to start again.
This has now changed, and for those that want a classroom
qualification, the content will reflect what is needed by both
health & social care employees.
Working with Industry has raised the profile of the work of the Regional Learning and Skills Partnership and the opportunities for them to engage and influence the changes that can be made to the provision of skills training. The industry voice through the skills survey and through the Cluster groups has enabled the training providers to work together to make the necessary recommendations to change the provision of training.
Colleges are
listening and joining conversations about what changes need to
happen, sharing their challenges also helps employers have more
patience with the speed of change needed in some areas.
The current remit of the RLSP is post 16 FE and apprenticeship training however there is a need to widen this remit and have the ability to influence all post 16 training including A level and HE. The A level provision is particularly important when schools and FE play a role in delivering these qualifications.
The Regional Skills Partnership would value an opportunity to have an impact on the curriculum design within Higher Education and what is offered in the region to meet the needs of employers and to support the development of the higher level skills in region.
The RLSP has had more involvement with schools as a result of the work being undertaken with the City Deal and working in partnership with Careers Wales and Industry the RSLP has been highlighting the potential jobs from the City Deal projects and what skills will be required both now and over the next 10 years. We feel that it would be beneficial for the RLSP to play a greater role in influencing the 14 – 16 curriculum and the opportunity to bring forward greater vocational skills to meet the employer needs.
Use the enthusiasm of the Sector Chairs within schools, we share the same message for those that leave school and college, but the message is not currently delivered. Timekeeping, attendance, reliability, communication. Not certification, education.