Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government remains committed to driving change through our Post-School Education and Skills Reform Programme. Recent progress includes the passing of The Tertiary Education and Training (TET) Bill on 20 January, which will simplify the system by giving responsibility for funding national training programmes and all apprenticeships to a redesigned Scottish Funding Council. We have also reached agreement on a new model for skills planning with the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland. In the period ahead, this work involves identifying a manageable number of sectors for national Skills Needs Assessments (SNAs). This will focus assessment capacity where national level insight can add the greatest value, rather than attempting to assess the whole economy in depth at once.

Once we have enhanced understanding of the skills needs in these sectors, the Scottish Government will identify priority skills and set expectations for the system in addressing these, whereas SFC will ensure planning and reporting is in place for delivery of post-school provision for the priority skills. This is being tested with partners across industry, regions and providers before any decisions are finalised. In all of this we continue to engage closely with businesses and employers. The Scottish Government hosts an employer roundtable which provides an opportunity for strategic engagement with employers. In addition, officials have set up a national reform employer network to engage employers at project level. I have also led extensive engagement with employers, businesses and business representative organisations on specific proposals including the TET Bill and the new model for Skills Planning. We will continue to engage closely with them as we progress this work.