§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the training provided by TECs; and if he will make a statement. [72037]
§ Mr. HainTECs contract with a variety of training providers for the delivery of youth and adult training programmes. In so doing, they must ensure that the training delivered meets the specifications for the various programmes that are set out in the TEC Contract and Operating Manual and the related planning guidance. They must also ensure that it complies with their contractual obligations in respect of accuracy of payments claimed for programme delivery, quality assurance and Health and Safety provisions. TEC performance in all of these respects is closely monitored by the Welsh Office436W and subject to the annual performance review; and, when cases of non-compliance with contract have arisen, appropriate remedial action has been taken.
The content of the training provided is specified by the various industry lead bodies and the qualifications awarded on the completion of training are routinely subject to audit by ACCAC, the qualifications assessment body for Wales.
The effectiveness of the training programmes in achieving their objectives is also subject to evaluation. Such evaluations are usually undertaken by the Department for Education and Employment on an England and Wales basis and the reports are routinely published. They influence both the subsequent design of programmes and the way in which they are delivered locally via the TECs through the identification of best practice.
However, whilst these arrangements have provided reasonable assurance that the training delivered has accorded with its intentions, they have not provided any clear indication of the relative standards of training offered by different training providers. Evidence of compliance with training course requirements does not necessarily represent evidence of a good learning experience for the trainee. The quality assurance arrangements provide a limited assurance in this respect, but they are insufficiently independent of the parties involved in training delivery to provide an objective assessment of the standard of training achieved.
It is for this reason that the Government have enacted legislation to enable the Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector to inspect the quality of training provision in Wales. The Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector will use a framework for inspection which is similar to that used by the Training Standards Council in England and which has been subject to consultation with TECs, training providers and ACCAC in Wales. Inspections will begin in the next financial year and it is intended to cover all providers of Government-sponsored training within a five year cycle. The Inspectorate's reports will provide the first independent assessment of training standards in Wales; and I will expect both the TECs and the training providers concerned to use these reports constructively in the interests of continuous improvement.
Following the transfer of functions this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.