Mr. Gareth ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements he plans to make for the inspection of Government-funded vocational training and the Careers Service. [37661]
§ Mr. HainThe Government will shortly be proposing new clauses for the Teaching and Higher Education Bill which would extend the functions of the Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools (OHMCI) to include inspection of vocational training and the careers service in Wales.
We wish to make use of OHMCI's reputation for quality and independence to bring to the inspection of Government-funded training the same rigour that applies to education. This is in line with the Government's broader strategy to promote standards of post-16 education and training. OHMCI already carries out inspections of further education colleges in Wales and, given the links between work-based vocational training and that carried out in colleges, it makes sense for the same body to arrange the inspection of both aspects. As for schools and colleges, the purpose of inspection is to raise standards, stimulate the improvement of training delivery, generate more openness and transparency in provision and offer more informed customer choice.
The extension of OHMCI's remit to cover the careers service would streamline arrangements and end the current arbitrary division of inspection responsibilities between careers education carried out in schools and colleges and the work of the careers service. It is also in line with the Welsh Office's objective of achieving greater rationalisation and co-operation between all education, training and careers providers.
We envisage a non-statutory framework of inspection implemented in both cases through contracts with the organisations to be inspected; and, if the legislation is enacted, we will be consulting with those involved prior to implementation.