Meetings

Routes into post-16 education and training

This page gives details of any meetings held which will, or did, discuss the matter, and includes links to the relevant Papers, Agendas and Minutes.

Note: Meeting Agenda can change at short notice. Particularly where future meeting dates are indicated more than a week in advance. Please check before planning to attend a Committee Meeting that the item you are interested in has not been moved.

 

 

Meeting: 04/02/2026 - Plenary (Item 5)

Debate on the Children, Young People and Education Committee Report: Routes into post-16 education and training

NDM9134 Buffy Williams (Rhondda) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

Notes the report of the Children, Young People and Education Committee ‘Routes into post-16 education and training’ which was laid in the Table Office on 12 November 2025. 

Note: Responses from the Welsh Government and Medr to the report were laid in the Table Office on 28 January 2026.

Minutes:

The item started at 15.28

NDM9134 Buffy Williams (Rhondda)  

To propose that the Senedd:  

Notes the report of the Children, Young People and Education Committee ‘Routes into post-16 education and training’ which was laid in the Table Office on 12 November 2025.  

Note: The response from the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 28 January 2026.  Medr responded to the Committee on 27 January 2026. 

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36. 

 

Meeting: 04/02/2026 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 04/02/2026 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 28/01/2026 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 7)

Routes into post-16 education and training - consideration of the Welsh Government response

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

7.1 Members discussed the response from the Welsh Government and agreed which areas they would like to focus on during the plenary debate.

Meeting: 06/11/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 23/10/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

Routes into post-16 education and training - consideration of the draft report

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1 Subject to minor amendments, the Committee agreed the draft report. The final report would be published on 12 November.

Meeting: 08/10/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

Routes into post-16 education and training - considerations of the draft report

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1 Members discussed the draft report. They agreed the final report would be agreed and signed off at the meeting on 23rd October.

Meeting: 17/09/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 7)

7 Routes into post-16 education and training - consideration of the draft report

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

7.1 The Committee considered the second half of the draft report. The draft report would be considered again at the meeting on 8 October.

Meeting: 03/07/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 6)

Routes into post-16 education and training - consideration of the draft report

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

6.1 Members discussed the draft report, an amended version together with the rest of the report would be considered at the first meeting back after the summer recess.

Meeting: 12/06/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 6)

Routes into post-16 education and training - consideration of the key issues

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

6.1 The Committee considered the remainder of the key issues. The draft report would be considered at the future Committee meeting.

6.2 The Committee agreed to respond to the Welsh Government’s consultation on its proposed changes to the Learner Travel Operational Guidance, highlighting relevant gathering during the inquiry.

Meeting: 21/05/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 21/05/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 6)

Routes into post-16 education and training - consideration of the key issues

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

6.1 The Committee considered the key issues. The key issues would be considered again at the meeting on 12 June.

Meeting: 21/05/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 21/05/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 21/05/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 21/05/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 21/05/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 02/04/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 6)

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

Minutes:

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.

Meeting: 02/04/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

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

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, Deputy Director, Support for Learners, Welsh Government

Ruth Meadows, Director of Tertiary Education, Welsh Government

Jo Salway, Director, Social Partnership, Employability & Fair Work, Welsh Government

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

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.

Meeting: 02/04/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 1)

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

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

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.

Meeting: 26/03/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Routes into post-16 education and training - evidence session 9

Cllr Lis Burnett, Spokesperson for the Welsh Local Government Association

Sharon Davies, Head of Education, Welsh Local Government Association

Gwyn Tudur, Assistant Head of Education at Gwynedd County Council and representing the Association of Directors of Education in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee heard evidence from the Welsh Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Education in Wales.

2.1 The WLGA agreed to provide information on which Local Authorities have carried out assessments regarding the impact of travel on learners' ability to access post-16 education and training.

Meeting: 26/03/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 6)

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

Minutes:

6.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous sessions.

Meeting: 26/03/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

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

David Hagendyk, Chief Executive, Colegau Cymru

Lisa Michelle Thomas, Principal of Merthyr College and Chair of Colegau Cymru

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1 The Committee heard evidence from Colegau Cymru.

Meeting: 26/03/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 4)

4 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 26/03/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 4)

4 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 20/03/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 1.)

1. Routes into post-16 education and training - Committee Visits

The Committee is undertaking visits to Further and Higher education institutions for its inquiry into routes in post 16 education and training.

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 13/03/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 6)

Routes into post-16 education and training - briefing session

Dr Katy Huxley, Research Fellow, Spark, and Administrative Data Research Wales, Cardiff University

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

6.1 The Committee received a briefing from Dr Katy Huxley.

Meeting: 13/03/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 7)

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

Minutes:

7.1 The Committee considered the evidence it has heard in the previous sessions.

Meeting: 13/03/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Routes into post-16 education and training - evidence session 7

Dona Lewis, Chief Executive, National Centre for Learning Welsh

Dr Ioan Matthews, Chief Executive, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol

Gwenllian Owen, Senior Manager for Higher Education, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol

Dr Gwennan Schiavone, Chief Executive, CYDAG

Matthew McAvoy, Secondary Leader, CYDAG

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee heard evidence from the National Centre for Learning Welsh, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and CYDAG.

2.2 CYDAG agreed to provide a note on examples of good practice in Wales where schools and local colleges are collaborating effectively and also examples where there is more competition and ineffective collaboration. They also agreed to provide examples of inconsistencies around learner transport policies and how this affects learners.

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

Meeting: 13/03/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Routes into post-16 education and training - evidence session 8

Faith O’Brian, Managing Director, Cambrian Training

Jude Holloway, Managing Director, Educ8 Training Group

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1 The Committee heard evidence from Cambrian Training and Educ8 Training Group.

Meeting: 05/03/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Routes into post-16 education and training - evidence session 6

Jassa Scott, Strategic Director, Estyn

Catherine Evans, Assistant Director, Estyn

Mark Campion, Assistant Director, Estyn

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1 The Committee heard evidence from Estyn.

3.2 Estyn agreed to provide further information on the support that is provided when compulsory school age ends including examples of where there are specific problems but also where there are particular examples of what works well.

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting: 13/02/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 4)

4 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 06/02/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 8)

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

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

8.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous session.

8.2 The Committee agreed to invite a panel of work based training representatives and academic to give evidence on 13 March. It also agree to conduct engagement visits on 20 March, including to a school sixth form and a further education college.

Meeting: 06/02/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 5)

5 Routes into post-16 education and training - evidence session 5

Lisa Mytton, Strategic Director, National Training Federation for Wales [via zoom]

Dr Ben Calvert, Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Wales and Vice-Chair of Universities Wales [via zoom]

Amanda Wilkinson, Director of Universities Wales [via zoom]

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

5.1 The Committee heard evidence from Universities Wales and the National Training Federation Wales.

5.2 Universities Wales and the National Training Federation Wales agreed to respond in writing to any questions that the Committee did not have time to ask during the evidence session

Meeting: 06/02/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 4)

4 Routes into post-16 education and training - evidence session 4

Nerys Bourne, Director of Customer Strategy and Service Development, Careers Wales

Mark Owen, Head of Services to Stakeholders, Careers Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.1 The Committee heard evidence from Careers Wales.

Meeting: 06/02/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

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

Simon Pirotte, Chief Executive Officer, Medr

Rhian Edwards, Executive Director for Policy, Medr

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1 The Committee heard evidence from Medr.

3.2 When published, Medr agreed to submit their statistical analysis of progression from year 11 to different types of tertiary education as evidence to the Committee.

Meeting: 29/01/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 6)

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

Minutes:

6.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous sessions.

Meeting: 29/01/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 3)

3 Routes into post-16 education and training - evidence session 2

Deb Austin, Parent [via zoom]

Karen Berell, Parent

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1 The Committee heard evidence from representatives of Parents’ Voices in Wales.

Meeting: 29/01/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 2)

2 Routes into post-16 education and training - evidence session 1

Sion Amlyn, Policy and Casework Official The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) [via zoom]

Ioan Rhys Jones, General Secretary, Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru (UCAC)

Mary van den Heuvel, Senior Wales Policy Officer, National Education Union Cymru (NEU)

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee heard evidence from School Teaching Unions.

2.2 Mary van den Heuvel from NEU declared that she’s a Member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales Committee and was co-opted for a couple of years to Careers Wales.

2.3 NASUWT agreed to provide any available information on whether an equivalent to the Baker clause in England would help address the issue of access to schools in Wales.

2.3 It was agreed that the questions unasked would be sent for a written response.

 

 

 

 

Meeting: 22/01/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 1.)

Routes into post-16 education and training: Stakeholder discussion [invitee only]

The Committee will be holding a private stakeholder discussion as part of its inquiry into Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 15/01/2025 - Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee (Item 2)

2 Invitation to attend meetings relating to the Children, Young People and Education Committee’s inquiry ‘Routes into post-16 education and training’

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 09/01/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 6)

6 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 09/01/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 6)

6 Routes into post-16 education and training

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 28/11/2024 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 2)

Routes into post-16 education and training- consideration of the scope and approach

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 Subject to minor amendments to the terms of reference and an addition to the oral evidence schedule the Committee agreed the scope and approach to the inquiry. A written consultation would be launched next week, oral evidence and engagement activities would take place in the Spring term.

 

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