Published on Eurydice (https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice)

This article sets out the bodies responsible for adult education and training at national, local and UK level and explains their areas of responsibility.

Ministers

Responsibility for aspects of lifelong learning in Wales is shared between the Minister for Education [1] and the Minister for the Economy and Transport [2].

The Minister for Education holds responsibility for:

further education [3] the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales [4], including vocational, key skills and essential skills qualifications adult community learning.

The Minister for the Economy and Transport holds responsibility for:

careers policy apprenticeship policy and delivery youth and adult employability policy and delivery work based learning providers sector skills and workforce skills development.

Under Section 32 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 [5] (as amended), Welsh Ministers must ‘secure the provision of reasonable facilities for:

(a) education (other than higher education) suitable to the requirements of persons who have attained the age of 19

(b) training suitable to the requirements of such persons

(c) organised leisure-time occupation connected with such education, and

(d) organised leisure-time occupation connected with such training’.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) [6] is a UK Government department responsible for welfare policy. Jobcentre Plus is the arm of the DWP which deals with out-of-work benefits, including providing employment support through Jobcentres in Wales, as well as England.

Qualifications Wales

Qualifications Wales [7] is the regulator of non-degree qualifications and the qualification system in Wales. Its two main aims are:

ensuring that qualifications and the Welsh qualification system are effective for meeting the reasonable needs of learners in Wales promoting public confidence in qualifications and the Welsh qualification system.

Qualifications Wales was established through the Qualifications Wales Act 2015 [8]. It is a Welsh Government Sponsored Body, independent of government, and is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales.

Wales Employment and Skills Board (WESB)

The Wales Employment and Skills Board (WESB) [9] is an independent body providing the employer perspective to Welsh Government Ministers on employment and skills matters. It aims to ensure that delivery is aligned to the needs of employers and individuals.

Estyn

The remit of Estyn [10], the office of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales is to inspect quality and standards in all aspects of education and training, including further education, adult and community learning, Welsh for adults, and work-based learning. It is funded by the Welsh Government but is independent both of the Government and the National Assembly for Wales. Estyn is a Crown body, established under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 [11]. See the article on ‘Quality Assurance in Adult Education and Training [12]’ for further information.

ColegauCymru/CollegesWales

ColegauCymru/CollegesWales [13] is the representative body for all further education institutions in Wales. It is a charity and limited company which works to raise the profile of further education with decision-makers, with the aim of improving educational opportunities in Wales.

Regional Skills Partnerships

There are three Regional Skills Partnerships [14] in Wales, which are tasked with analysing economic challenges and likely growth areas to identify the skills needed by the workforce. They produce Regional Employment and Skills Plans to inform the provision of skills based on regional economic need, and to support growth and key infrastructure projects in each region. The Plans provide recommendations to the Welsh Government to influence the prioritisation and deployment of skills funding.

Adult Learning Wales

Adult Learning Wales [15] provides community and workplace education. It focuses on offering a wide range of provision regardless of age and on engaging with all communities, in particular those experiencing disadvantage. It works through a local branch structure and partnership working with community and voluntary organisations, representative organisations in the workplace, and other publicly funded providers. It was formed as a result of mergers between organisations offering community and workplace education in Wales.

Learning and Work Institute (L&W)

The Learning and Work Institute (L&W) [16] is an independent policy and research organisation covering England and Wales, which aims to promote lifelong learning, employment and inclusion. It campaigns for the benefits to be gained from lifelong learning and work and was formed in 2016 through the merger of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) and the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion (CESI).

Although further and adult education is a devolved matter, it is related to non-devolved issues which influence the performance of Wales as an economic entity, and to areas of social policy and service delivery. In this context, there are some bodies which operate on a UK-wide basis for the development of economic growth and social partnership, in which employers, trade unions and others come together to give leadership to business on skills development. These include Sector Skills Council and National Skills Academies.

Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and National Skills Academies (NSAs)

The Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are a UK-wide network established in 2002, each covering a specific sector across the UK. They work with employers in the private, public and voluntary sectors to define skills needs and skills standards in their industry, and to define occupational standards and job competencies. They also help to define the qualifications that make up an apprenticeship framework and to support employers in accessing training providers for qualifications.

National Skills Academies (NSAs) have a leading role in developing the infrastructure needed to deliver specialist skills for key sectors and sub-sectors of the economy across the UK. Established from late 2006, they are employer-led and work with Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and other industry bodies to design and deliver skills programmes, qualifications and curricula to meet current and future sector needs.

The SSCs and NSAs are supported by the Federation for Industry Sector Skills and Standards (FISSS) [17].

Introduction of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research

In August 2019, the Welsh Government announced [18] that a Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER) would be established as a Welsh Government Sponsored Body by 2023. Among its responsibilities will be the oversight of adult education delivery through local authorities [19]. The National Body for adult learning, announced [20] by the Welsh Government in July 2019, will, in time, be funded, monitored, and quality assured by the CTER.

Article last reviewed October 2019.

DID YOU FIND WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR? YES NO

Contact * Message *

Leave this field blank

Source URL: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/distribution-responsibilities-87_da

Links [1] https://gov.wales/kirsty-williams-am [2] https://gov.wales/ken-skates-am [3] https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/glossary-77_en#FurtherEducation(FE) [4] https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/glossary-77_en#CreditAndQualificationsFrameworkForW ales(CQFW) [5] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/21/contents [6] https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions [7] http://www.qualificationswales.org/english/ [8] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2015/5/contents/enacted [9] https://beta.gov.wales/wales-employment-and-skills-board [10] https://www.estyn.gov.wales/ [11] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/38/contents [12] https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/quality-assurance-adult-education-and-training-80_en [13] http://www.collegeswales.ac.uk/ [14] https://businesswales.gov.wales/skillsgateway/regional-skills-partnerships [15] https://www.adultlearning.wales/ [16] http://www.learningandwork.wales/ [17] http://fisss.org/about-us/ [18] https://gov.wales/tertiary-education-and-research-commission [19] https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/glossary-77_en#LocalAuthority(LA) [20] https://gov.wales/written-statement-welsh-government-response-consultation-restructuring-community-based-adult