1. 1 Skills That Work for Wales A skills and employment strategy Skills, Business and Employability division Welsh Assembly Government

2. 2 The importance of skills

3. 3 Sector employment trends

4. 4 Trends towards better jobs: Wales/UK Percentage change in employees 2001-2006

5. 5 Trends towards higher skills in Wales

6. 6 The low skills ‘tail’ in Wales

7. 7 Policy context

8. 8 Leitch Review of Skills: analysis UK - high employment but poor productivity Economic trends - increased demand for higher skills – ‘Knowledge Economy’ jobs Current policy – little global reach/ambition 3 scenarios – invest in low, intermediate or high skills

9. 9 Leitch Review of Skills: recommendations New vision: UK to become a world leader in skills by 2020, doubling attainment at most levels Responsibility for delivery shared between Govt, employers and individuals Build a ‘demand-led’ system of higher level learning

10. 10 Webb Review of FE The challenge: end FE underperformance and learner ‘disengagement’ The drivers of change: learner entitlement, employer influence, reconfiguration 136 recommendations including 14-19 commissioning consortia, more employer-led training, FE mergers and federations

11. 11 Skills That Work for Wales [STWfW]: Vision “A strong and enterprising economy with full employment based on quality jobs” (One Wales) Supported by seamless skills, employment and business support services that are responsive to learner/employer needs and demand

12. 12 STWfW key principles Employers must have real influence Shared responsibility between the Assembly Government, employers and individuals Integration of skills, employment and business support

13. 13 STWfW policy proposals New approaches to funding Contributions policy to focus public money on priorities A principle of ‘shared responsibility’ Sector Priorities Fund to deliver priorities in SSAs, encouraging partnerships between providers, businesses, sector representatives

14. 14 STWfW policy proposals 2 More responsiveness to demand New Wales Employment and Skills Board, UK Commission for Employment and Skills Stronger role for SSCs Reformed vocational qualifications Expanded Workforce Development Programme

15. 15 STWfW success indicators Progress towards full employment (80% employment rate) Improvement in the qualifications of the Welsh workforce More individuals and employers participating in learning More of them expressing satisfaction with their learning experiences