Page 50 - Neath Port Talbot Skills Report 2024

Education
More vocational support must be offered in pre 16
education, Parents and learners say they are less
aware of vocational qualifications than they are of A
levels. This will not only benefit learners who plan
on entering the workforce as school leavers but also
benefit those seeking higher education, so they are
“work ready” when study is completed. Work
Experience is a key missing element from pre-16
education.
Digital, critical thinking, problem solving and
communication are all key vocational skills that pre-
16 need embedded within the curriculum, these
skills are much more difficult to install at a later age
and these are skills that employers require.
Employers and businesses should be encouraged to
work more closely with pre and post 16 education,
and look at ways of developing older workers, there
are good practices where this does happen, but it
seems to be siloed and not a standardised
mainstream process.
Correct tools, knowledge and influencers need to
be a part of the career's advice process, enthusing
the future generations into roles that they will find
enjoyable and satisfying, evidence suggests a huge
disinterest in the current labour market from young
adults and rising numbers becoming NEET. The
negative perceptions about local working life need
to be broken down at an early age. In addition,
careers advice should not be limited to pre-16, but
should be available for all age groups, encouraging
lifelong learning.
Learners in schools without their own sixth form
generally receive substantially more information,
advice and guidance about the variety of vocational
education and training routes available to them in
their local area. Although most of these activities
take place, they happen during Year 11 and could
happen sooner. A minority of schools provide useful
opportunities to access appropriate information and
activities in Year 10, and in a few cases in Year 9 or
below. (Estyn, 2022)
Learners in the majority of schools with their own
sixth form receive detailed information about
courses available in the sixth form to encourage
educational progression, including any subject
options that are available as part of local
partnership arrangements. However, relatively little,
if any, information on other options such as
vocational apprenticeship opportunities available
through alternative local providers is provided
routinely to learners in the majority of these schools
(Estyn, 2022)
Only around a quarter of learners feel that they
understand the range of apprenticeship
pathways quite well or very well. Many parents’
understanding of work-based learning
pathways is very limited, with around 70% of
respondents telling us they understand
apprenticeship options very little or not well.
(Estyn, 2022)
Upskill and reskill pathways to new emerging
markets and of course underpinned with Net
Zero competence need to be formulated and in
place. These pathways must be easily accessible
and actively promoted to prevent a bottle neck
of urgent training later down the line. Some
providers have started this process, and it
needs to be encouraged and promoted to
mainstream.
Current vocational training must be reviewed
with an emphasis on adding Net Zero
competencies to them. A system of short
upskill of current roles rather than a complete
reskill process would benefit the learner and
the employer.
Smart technologies need wider educational
support, this will in turn help to ensure we have
a more productive, higher skill higher pay
workforce.
‘Impartial careers advice and guidance to young
people aged 14 to 16 years provided by Careers
Wales found that ‘where young people begin
their guidance session with a Careers Wales
adviser with unrealistic plans and ideas, this
usually stems from lack of support from their
school or setting. Following guidance, these
young people make very good progress towards
understanding the post-16 routes available to
them. (Estyn, 2022)
There are many recommendations, suggestions, barriers &
opportunities within this report to shape the skill landscape in NPT,
However there are a few cross-cutting themes to recap on
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