To ask the Minister for the Economy to outline any engagement she has had with the Minister of Education in relation to his proposals for 16-18 legislation.

Dr Archibald

The Minister of Education and I met in May to discuss his proposals for 16-18 legislation. We will meet again at the end of this month to continue that discussion, alongside other cross-cutting issues relating to 14-19 education. My officials have maintained ongoing engagement with the Department of Education on those matters through the established 14-19 structures. I note that it is vital that that work is underpinned by strong interdepartmental collaboration, clear operational planning and meaningful engagement with young people themselves. Legislation alone will not be enough; it must be matched by adequate funding and a whole-systems approach to ensure equity and meaningful change for every young person.

Dr Archibald

I thank the Member for his question. Certainly, I support the broad intention of the legislation to ensure that all our young people have opportunities. Currently, there is a lack of sufficient detail to properly comment on the specifics. As I mentioned, we need to see all pathways appropriately funded to ensure that they deliver. It is important that we work together to avoid duplication and make the best use of our combined resources. I believe that we have world-class further education facilities. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to open two of our new campuses, which are fantastic. There is a real opportunity for us to be world-leading in the type of initiatives and programmes that we put in place for our young people, particularly across the remit of apprenticeships. Certainly, I will engage closely with the Education Minister to ensure that our priorities align — they do, generally, in what we are trying to achieve for young people — to make sure that we are working together and have a whole suite of options that young people can pursue, regardless of where they come from or their aspirations.

Mr Delargy

I thank the Minister for her commitment to this topic and broad area of work. Minister, you mentioned duplication. Will you talk more to exactly what you will do to ensure that there is no duplication and how you will continue to support our further education colleges, which, we know, do brilliant work in my area and across the board?

Dr Archibald

I thank the Member for his question. We are all aware of the financial pressures that the Department of Education is under. Putting increasing student numbers into its remit may further stretch that available funding. My Department is also under funding pressure. I have tried very hard to prioritise skills within my funding envelope, but, certainly, with more funding, we could do an awful lot more. That is why it is more important than ever that we work together to avoid duplication and make the best use of our combined resources. As I said, I am absolutely committed to collaborating closely with the Education Minister to ensure that our facilities are properly utilised. If we align our planning and delivery, and have appropriate sharing of data and coordination of different programmes, we can provide learners with the best possible opportunities while also ensuring value for money. Our focus therefore needs to be on delivering a joined-up offer that meets the needs of all young people and avoids unnecessary overlap in order to maximise the impact of every pound that we spend.