1National funding strategy(1)

The Scottish Ministers must prepare a national funding strategy for tertiary education, skills and apprenticeships.

(2)

The strategy must set out—

(a)

the Scottish Ministers’ view of skills needs in Scotland, including in different localities within Scotland,

(b)

the Scottish Ministers’ priorities for funding further education and higher education, programmes of training for employment, Scottish apprenticeships and work-based learning,

(c)

the outcomes which the Scottish Ministers are seeking to deliver through funding those activities, and

(d)

such other information as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate.

(3)

In subsection (2)—

“further education” means a programme of learning which falls within section 6 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992,

“higher education” has the meaning given by section 38 of that Act,

“programmes of training for employment” means programmes for which grants are to be made under section 12C(1) of the 2005 Act,

“Scottish apprenticeships” has the meaning given by section 12E(1) of that Act,

“work-based learning” has the meaning given by section 12I(2) of that Act.

(4)

The Scottish Ministers must, as soon as reasonably practicable after this section comes into force, publish the strategy and lay it before the Scottish Parliament.

(5)

The Scottish Ministers—

(a)

may, from time to time, revise the strategy, and

(b)

must, as soon as reasonably practicable after doing so, publish any revised strategy and lay it before the Scottish Parliament.

(6)

In preparing or revising the strategy, the Scottish Ministers must consult—

(a)

the Council,

(b)

The Skills Development Scotland Co. Limited,

(c)

employers and prospective employers of apprentices,

(d)

the post-16 education bodies (within the meaning given by section 35(1) of the 2005 Act),

(e)

training providers (within the meaning given by section 12J(3) of the 2005 Act),

(f)

representatives of any trade union (within the meaning given by section 1 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992) which appears to the Scottish Ministers to be representative of the interests of apprentices,

(g)

education authorities (within the meaning given by section 135(1) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980),

(h)

learners and persons who appear to the Scottish Ministers to represent the interests of learners, and

(i)

such other persons as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate.

(7)

The Scottish Ministers must—

(a)

from time to time, prepare a report on the progress being made in delivering the outcomes set out in the national skills funding strategy, and

(b)

publish the report and lay it before the Scottish Parliament.