§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how he proposes to eliminate skills shortages in skilled manufacturing industry in Wales. [41492]
§ Mr. HainA wide range of action is in hand to tackle skill shortages in manufacturing industry, most notably the "Action Plan for Manufacturing Training in Wales" which has been drawn up by the Council of Welsh TECs with the support of the Welsh Development Agency, the Development Board for Rural Wales, the Funding Councils, the WLGA, the CBI and the TUC. An additional £3.5 million has been made available in 1998–99 for the FEFCW, working closely with the TECs, to meet locally identified skill needs and to support training in key advanced skills directly relevant to realising the Action Plan.
The Education and Training Action Group is also looking at the priority skill needs which exist in Wales and how the education and training system might adapt to meet these.