Concise Minutes - Children, Young People and Education Committee

Meeting Venue:

Hybrid - Committee room 2 Senedd and video conference via Zoom
Meeting date: Wednesday, 2 April 2025

Meeting time: 09.31 - 12.35
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/15212

Hybrid

------

Attendance

Category	Names
Members of the Senedd:	Buffy Williams MS (Chair) Natasha Asghar MS Cefin Campbell MS Vaughan Gething MS Joel James MS Carolyn Thomas MS
Witnesses:	Lynne Neagle MS, Cabinet Secretary for Education Vikki Howells MS, Minister for Further and Higher Education Jack Sargeant MS, Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership Hannah Wharf, Welsh Government Ruth Meadows, Welsh Government Jo Salway, Welsh Government
Committee Staff:	Naomi Stocks (Clerk) Tom Lewis-White (Second Clerk) Jennifer Cottle (Legal Adviser) Manon Huws (Legal Adviser) Thomas Morris (Researcher) Michael Dauncey (Researcher) Sian Thomas (Researcher) Claire Thomas (Researcher)

<AI1>

1 Routes into post-16 education and training - Discussion with the Citizen Engagement Team about engagement findings

1.1 The Committee received a presentation from the Citizen Engagement Manager on findings of the surveys that the Citizen Engagement Team had undertook on behalf of the Committee for the inquiry.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

2.1 The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting of the Children, Young People and Education Committee.

2.2 Carolyn Thomas sent her apologies for items 5 to 8 and Cefin Campbell for items 7 and 8.

</AI2>

<AI3>

3 Routes into post-16 education and training - evidence session 10

3.1 The Committee heard evidence from the Cabinet Secretary and Ministers.

3.2 The Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership agreed to provide a note on:

- The education business partnership run by Careers Wales.

- The work Careers Wales is doing on work experience and the scale of how much it can deliver.

3.3 The Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership also agreed to ask Medr to consider issuing the Committee with data about foundation and higher apprenticeship starts alongside anticipated future trends in apprenticeship provision.

3.4 The Cabinet Secretary for Education agreed to provide a note on the work currently being undertaken by the Welsh Government and partners regarding junior apprenticeships, including the work being undertaken by Medr, and timelines for any future expansion of the programme.

3.5 The Minister for Further and Higher Education agreed to provide a note on:

- Data on the number of Welsh-domiciled young people who put a Welsh university as their first choice university, if available.

- The different scholarships that are available to learners to study through the medium of Welsh.

- The timeline for developing an integrated, comprehensive strategy for education and vocational training.

3.4 The Committee agreed to send the questions unasked for a written response.

</AI3>

<AI4>

4 Papers to note

4.1 The papers were noted.

</AI4>

<AI5>

</AI12>

<AI13>

5 Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting and for the whole of the meeting on 8, 14 and 21 May

5.1 The motion was agreed.

</AI13>

<AI14>

6 Routes into post-16 education and training - consideration of the evidence

6.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard during the previous session and throughout the inquiry. It agreed to write to some stakeholder for some further information.

</AI14>

<AI15>

7 Legislative Consent: Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill - consideration of the evidence

7.1 The Committee considered the evidence received. Due to reporting deadlines the draft report would be circulated and agreed electronically.

</AI15>

<AI16>

8 Legislative Consent: Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

8.1 The Committee considered the Legislative Consent on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and the Children’s Commissioner for Wales for some further information.

</AI16>

<TRAILER_SECTION>

</TRAILER_SECTION>

<LAYOUT_SECTION>

1. FIELD_TITLE

FIELD_SUMMARY

</LAYOUT_SECTION>

<TITLE_ONLY_LAYOUT_SECTION>

2. FIELD_TITLE

</TITLE_ONLY_LAYOUT_SECTION>

<HEADING_LAYOUT_SECTION>

FIELD_TITLE

</HEADING_LAYOUT_SECTION>

<TITLED_COMMENT_LAYOUT_SECTION>

FIELD_TITLE

FIELD_SUMMARY

</TITLED_COMMENT_LAYOUT_SECTION>

<COMMENT_LAYOUT_SECTION>

FIELD_SUMMARY

</COMMENT_LAYOUT_SECTION>

<SUBNUMBER_LAYOUT_SECTION>

2.1 FIELD_TITLE

FIELD_SUMMARY

</SUBNUMBER_LAYOUT_SECTION>

<TITLE_ONLY_SUBNUMBER_LAYOUT_SECTION>

2.2 FIELD_TITLE

</TITLE_ONLY_SUBNUMBER_LAYOUT_SECTION>