On 20 January 2022, the Auditor General for Scotland published Planning for Skills.
The report says:
"SDS and the SFC started to work together on skills alignment but a lack of consensus emerged. The Scottish Government did not provide the necessary leadership or oversight, with insufficient clarity on what it wanted to achieve and what success would look like. As a result, the benefits anticipated from skills alignment have not been realised."
Read the report on Audit Scotland's website
Information about the Public Audit Committee's consideration of the report can be found below.
The Committee took evidence from:
Stephen Boyle, the Auditor General for Scotland; Gordon Smail, Audit Director; Rebecca Seidel, Senior Audit Manager; and Douglas Black, Audit Manager, Performance Audit and Best Value, Audit Scotland.
Read the agenda and meeting papers, 10 February 2022
Read the Official Report, 10 February 2022
Read the meeting minutes, 10 February 2022
Decision: The Committee agreed to invite the Scottish Government to give oral evidence at a future meeting.
The Committee took evidence from:
Joe Griffin, Director-General Education and Justice; Helena Gray, Director, Fair Work, Employability and Skills; Adam Reid, Deputy Director for Skills; and Helen Webster, Deputy Director for Reform, Directorate for Advance Learning and Science, Scottish Government.
Read the agenda and meeting papers, 10 March 2022
Read the Official Report, 10 March 2022
Read the meeting minutes, 10 March 2022
Decision: The Committee agreed to consider its next steps at a future meeting.
Decision: At its meeting on the 17 March 2022, the Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
Decision: At its meeting on 22 September 2022, the Committee agreed to close its scrutiny of the report and write to the Minister for Higher Education, Further Education, Youth Employment and Training, Scottish Government and the Education, Children and Young People Committee.