English: I'd just like to say, first of all, thank you to all the people who came in to give evidence because I thought it was a good cross section of society and it was interesting to hear their experiences of the regional skills partnerships. Some were pretty positive, others were not so, and I'm sure I'll go into that here today. From our inquiries on the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee, it's clear that an assessment of future skills needs is the gap that needs to be filled by said regional skills partnerships, and that's why we recommended in action 10 that Welsh Government should no longer request regional skills partnerships - or regional skills advisory boards, as we propose to call them - to make operational recommendations on learner numbers at further education institutions, even at the current sector subject level. Instead, Welsh Government should require further education institutions to have regard to the more strategic and intelligence-based reports that could be produced by the board instead. This, of course, would empower and incentivise institutions to respond to the issues identified in those reports. Along with the other recommendations, a stimulation of employer demand for higher skills can be created, beginning to close down the low-skill traps found in parts of the Welsh economy. But despite the evidence and input provided to us on the committee by crucial stakeholders, it's very disappointing, as has been said, that the Welsh Government have chosen to reject action 10, stating that to move away from having the regional skills advisory board make operational recommendations to the Welsh Government would, and I quote, 'weaken the new strategic planning and funding process.' Instead, they insist on focusing on learner numbers, and according to ColegauCymru, this approach is overly prescriptive and intensive, generating unnecessary work that does not lead to tangible gains. Through the new curriculum, there is a significant focus on building trust in leadership and capacity within the pre-16 education system in schools. The Welsh Government doesn't dictate their level of post-16 provision. Equally, Welsh Government is completely hands-off when it comes to higher education, too. Meanwhile, in further education, what is lacking is the independence and respect, I would say, to that particular sector. This doesn't seem right to me and it doesn't seem right to ColegauCymru. Why is it that an injection of micromanagement in course numbers is needed here unlike any other educational level? It's also particularly puzzling that the Welsh Government has rejected this recommendation as it's not only our report that concluded that planning activity should take place at a more strategic level, but also the Government's own commissioned report from SQW, which came to the same conclusion. On a related note, I do express frustration at the timing of the Government-commissioned report as it took place in March 2019, months after the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee commenced its own inquiry. Arguably, an expense of £9,918 was wasted on a report that risked duplication rather than waiting to hear the findings of our particular committee findings. Going back to the role of colleges and regional skills partnerships, the colleges' perspective is summed up pretty well by what David Jones of Coleg Cambria told us, and I quote: 'We can't just let universities crack on and do their own thing - because ultimately there's public money going into universities; that's where it's coming from at the end of the day - and then just focus on some sort of regional economy-driven planning just on FE and work-based learning. It's flawed if you do it that way.' There must be a way for regional skills partnerships to collaborate in a more equal way across sectors. By no means did the committee receive evidence arguing for the abandonment of partnerships - but I did feel a sense of hesitancy in praising them outright when we did take scrutiny - but that a regional skills co-ordinating body was necessary and useful. So, that was the element that they saw fit to promote. Another issue that the committee focused on is to what extent the partnerships truly represent the societies that they live in and how people can interact with those skills partnerships. It's clear that they're not reaching their full potential. Some are business heavy, some are college light, and how does that reflect the societies they're living in? Some are very weak on gender balance and some are not very inclusive in terms of the diversity of the communities that they represent. There's also a lack of engagement with Welsh language aims, and of meeting the Cymraeg 2050 target. And we did question many of them about their relationship with city and growth deals: how do the plans of the growth deals align with the skills agenda of the regional partnerships? There is more reason to move away from the top-down structure and move to a horizontal approach. And as further suggested by Universities Wales, improvement could be seen by wider engagement and specialised use of data. More work is needed to engage with the learner and graduate voice so that the experiences and motivations of those both entering and already in the workforce in Wales can be reflected. Steering their study is one thing, but dictating their study based on what the economy needs all the time may not suit what people actually want to do in their educational careers. So, thank you for the support that we've had in this particular committee inquiry, but again, reflecting what the Chair has said, we're not as happy with some of the responses from Welsh Government and hope we can work positively from here on in.
Welsh: Yn gyntaf, hoffwn ddweud diolch wrth bawb a ddaeth i roi tystiolaeth oherwydd roeddwn yn meddwl ei fod yn groestoriad da o gymdeithas ac roedd yn ddiddorol clywed eu profiadau o'r partneriaethau sgiliau rhanbarthol. Roedd rhai yn eithaf cadarnhaol, er nad oedd eraill, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddaf yn ymhelaethu ar hynny yma heddiw. O'n hymchwiliadau ym Mhwyllgor yr Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau, mae'n amlwg mai asesiad o anghenion sgiliau yn y dyfodol yw'r bwlch sydd angen i'r partneriaethau sgiliau rhanbarthol ei lenwi, a dyna pam ein bod wedi argymell yng ngham gweithredu 10 na ddylai Llywodraeth Cymru ofyn i bartneriaethau sgiliau rhanbarthol - neu fyrddau cynghori ar sgiliau rhanbarthol, fel rydym yn argymell eu galw - wneud argymhellion gweithredol ar niferoedd dysgwyr mewn sefydliadau addysg bellach o hyn ymlaen, hyd yn oed ar lefel bresennol y pwnc sector. Yn hytrach, dylai Llywodraeth Cymru ei gwneud yn ofynnol i sefydliadau addysg bellach ystyried yr adroddiadau mwy strategol sy'n seiliedig ar wybodaeth y gallai'r bwrdd eu cynhyrchu yn lle hynny. Byddai hyn, wrth gwrs, yn grymuso ac yn cymell sefydliadau i ymateb i'r materion a nodwyd yn yr adroddiadau hynny. Ynghyd â'r argymhellion eraill, gellir ysgogi'r galw gan gyflogwyr am sgiliau uwch, gan ddechrau cau'r trapiau sgiliau isel a geir mewn rhannau o economi Cymru. Ond er gwaethaf y dystiolaeth a'r mewnbwn a roddwyd i ni ar y pwyllgor gan randdeiliaid allweddol, mae'n siomedig iawn, fel y dywedwyd, fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dewis gwrthod cam gweithredu 10, gan ddatgan y byddai symud o gael y bwrdd cynghori ar sgiliau rhanbarthol i wneud argymhellion gweithredol i Lywodraeth Cymru, a dyfynnaf, 'yn gwanhau'r broses gynllunio a chyllido strategol newydd.' Yn hytrach, maent yn mynnu canolbwyntio ar niferoedd dysgwyr, ac yn ôl ColegauCymru, mae'r dull hwn yn rhy rhagnodol a dwys, gan greu gwaith diangen nad yw'n arwain at enillion pendant. Drwy'r cwricwlwm newydd, canolbwyntir yn sylweddol ar feithrin ymddiriedaeth mewn arweinyddiaeth a gallu o fewn y system addysg cyn-16 mewn ysgolion. Nid yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn pennu lefel eu darpariaeth ôl-16. Yn yr un modd, nid yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn pennu fawr ddim mewn addysg uwch chwaith. Yn y cyfamser, mewn addysg bellach, buaswn yn dweud mai'r hyn sy'n ddiffygiol yw'r annibyniaeth a'r parch at y sector hwnnw. Nid yw hyn yn ymddangos yn iawn i mi ac nid yw'n ymddangos yn iawn i ColegauCymru. Pam fod angen chwistrelliad o ficroreolaeth mewn perthynas â'r niferoedd sy'n dilyn cyrsiau yma yn wahanol i'r hyn a geir ar unrhyw lefel addysgol arall? Mae'n destun penbleth arbennig hefyd fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwrthod yr argymhelliad hwn gan nad ein hadroddiad ni yn unig a ddaeth i'r casgliad y dylai gweithgarwch cynllunio ddigwydd ar lefel fwy strategol, ond yr adroddiad a gomisiynwyd gan y Llywodraeth ei hun gan SQW hefyd, a ddaeth i'r un casgliad. Ar nodyn cysylltiedig, rwy'n mynegi rhwystredigaeth ynghylch amseriad yr adroddiad a gomisiynwyd gan y Llywodraeth gan iddo ddigwydd ym mis Mawrth 2019, fisoedd ar ôl i Bwyllgor yr Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau ddechrau ei ymchwiliad ei hun. Gellid dadlau bod cost o £9,918 wedi'i wastraffu ar adroddiad a oedd mewn perygl o ddyblygu yn hytrach nag aros i glywed canfyddiadau penodol ein pwyllgor. Gan ddychwelyd at rôl colegau a phartneriaethau sgiliau rhanbarthol, caiff safbwynt y colegau ei grynhoi'n eithaf da gan yr hyn a ddywedodd David Jones o Goleg Cambria wrthym, ac rwy'n dyfynnu: Ni allwn adael i brifysgolion fwrw ymlaen a gwneud eu pethau eu hunain - oherwydd yn y pen draw mae arian cyhoeddus yn mynd i mewn i brifysgolion; o'r fan honno y daw yn y pen draw - a chanolbwyntio'n unig ar ryw fath o gynllunio rhanbarthol wedi'i yrru gan yr economi ar gyfer addysg bellach a dysgu seiliedig ar waith yn unig. Mae'n wallus os ydych yn ei wneud yn y ffordd honno. Rhaid bod ffordd i bartneriaethau sgiliau rhanbarthol gydweithio mewn modd mwy cyfartal ar draws y sectorau. Ni chymerodd y pwyllgor dystiolaeth a ddadleuai o blaid cefnu ar bartneriaethau - ond roeddwn yn teimlo rhywfaint o betruster rhag eu canmol yn ddiamod pan gawsom ein craffu - ond yn hytrach, fod corff cydgysylltu sgiliau rhanbarthol yn angenrheidiol ac yn ddefnyddiol. Felly, dyna'r elfen y gwelsant yn dda i'w hyrwyddo. Mater arall y canolbwyntiodd y pwyllgor arno yw i ba raddau y mae'r partneriaethau yn cynrychioli'r cymdeithasau y maent yn byw ynddynt mewn gwirionedd a sut y gall pobl ryngweithio â'r partneriaethau sgiliau hynny. Mae'n amlwg nad ydynt yn cyrraedd eu potensial llawn. Mae rhai'n pwyso'n drwm ar fusnesau, rhai heb fod yn pwyso llawer ar golegau, a sut y mae hynny'n adlewyrchu'r cymdeithasau y maent yn byw ynddynt? Mae rhai yn wan iawn o ran cydbwysedd rhwng y rhywiau ac nid yw rhai yn gynhwysol iawn o ran amrywiaeth y cymunedau y maent yn eu cynrychioli. Ceir diffyg ymgysylltu hefyd â nodau'r iaith Gymraeg, a chyrraedd targed Cymraeg 2050. A bu i ni holi llawer ohonynt am eu perthynas â bargeinion dinesig a bargeinion twf: sut y mae cynlluniau'r bargeinion twf yn cyd-fynd ag agenda sgiliau'r partneriaethau rhanbarthol? Mae mwy o reswm i symud i ffwrdd oddi wrth y strwythur o'r brig i lawr a symud at ddull llorweddol. Ac fel yr awgrymwyd ymhellach gan Prifysgolion Cymru, gellid gweld gwelliant drwy ymgysylltu'n ehangach â data a gwneud defnydd arbenigol ohono. Mae angen gwneud mwy o waith i ymgysylltu â llais dysgwyr a graddedigion fel y gellir adlewyrchu profiadau a chymhellion y rhai sy'n ymuno â'r gweithlu yng Nghymru a'r rhai sydd eisoes yn rhan ohono. Un peth yw llywio eu hastudiaeth, ond efallai nad yw pennu eu hastudiaethau ar sail yr hyn sydd ei angen ar yr economi drwy'r amser yn gweddu i'r hyn y mae pobl am ei wneud yn eu gyrfaoedd addysgol mewn gwirionedd. Felly, diolch i chi am y gefnogaeth a gawsom yn yr ymchwiliad pwyllgor hwn, ond eto, gan adlewyrchu'r hyn y mae'r Cadeirydd wedi'i ddweud, nid ydym mor hapus â rhai o'r ymatebion gan Lywodraeth Cymru ac rydym yn gobeithio y gallwn weithio'n gadarnhaol o hyn ymlaen.