Janet Finch-Saunders
I’m really proud to contribute to our debate today and highlight, once again, our new Stronger Futures Cymru policy. This will certainly boost relevant apprenticeships, and I will support training for people without any age barrier across Wales. Here we have some of the biggest barriers to work for young and older people, and these are, fundamentally, lack of opportunity, lack of confidence, lack of qualifications and lack of experience. It is really concerning, though, to note that 72 per cent of our Welsh businesses themselves have experienced difficulty in recruiting the right staff for them, and that 61 per cent fear that they will be unable to recruit enough high or skilled workers to meet their own demands, which would enable them to grow further. Over recess, last week, I met with three local, very strong businesses, having grown from very small microbusiness, all of whom told me that they are now struggling to find staff. Stronger Futures Cymru aims to address the growing skills gap, which we have seen opening up further under the Welsh Labour Government and which the Bevan Foundation has predicted to increase. Our micro, small and medium enterprises are vital to the Welsh economy, yet without the skilled workers they need, we run the risk of undermining our growth and their future potential. Our policy will use labour market intelligence to ensure that apprenticeship training is working towards fulfilling our future and current skill needs. Jobs Growth Wales: we do regret that it has failed to address the skills gap here in Wales as it is, with one in five of those who complete a placement finding themselves unemployed and a further one in five failing to complete their placement at all. That cannot be regarded as successful. Furthermore, the scheme itself admits that a staggering 73 per cent of those who completed a placement would have found employment even without the scheme. Stronger Futures Cymru will address this by ensuring resources—[Interruption.] Okay. Y Dirprwy Lywydd / The Deputy Presiding Officer
Joyce Watson. Joyce Watson
I thank you for taking an intervention. Would you just accept that the whole idea of Jobs Growth Wales was getting people into work then, not some time in the distant future? Janet Finch-Saunders
What I would agree on is that it discriminates against people who are actually of an age bracket that still have the skills, still have experience, and still have the ability and the desire to work, and that is failing them. Furthermore, we would make it easier for smaller businesses to offer relevant and meaningful work experience and apprenticeship opportunities, with apprenticeship grants for employers. Stronger Futures Cymru will also address the fundamental imbalance towards academic study and the lack of work-ready skills held by school leavers, as identified by the Enterprise and Business Committee. By strengthening links between educators and employers earlier, and by developing flexible apprenticeships, we can and will encourage more school leavers to enter employed training and work to end the notable gender imbalance in Welsh industries. Finally, Stronger Futures Cymru will end the strategic isolation of older people from accessing education as a result of exclusionary Welsh Labour Government policy. The proportion of those aged 50 to 64 unemployed and looking for work in my constituency of Aberconwy stands at 5.3 per cent, higher than the 3.9 per cent average across Wales. So, the inclusivity of our policy is something that I am particularly passionate about, and this is an issue I have raised previously. I’ve asked the First Minister, I’ve asked the Minister and the Deputy Minister to identify me one scheme where your Government supports over-50s, and you couldn’t even name one. And that’s on record. The Commissioner for Older People in Wales has stated that Wales could pay a high price for cuts to lifelong learning—cuts implemented by this Welsh Labour Government. It’s no good blaming the UK Government. She has further stated that we need to see a much wider recognition across all Government portfolios of the necessity to keep our older people in the workforce and bring them back into work as well. We have long called for greater support for older people looking to enter or re-enter the workforce and there are numerous reasons why they may wish to do so. It’s essential we recognise the wealth of talent held by our more mature people here in Wales, and that is talent that is going to waste. We must support older people in gaining meaningful employment, and dispel any misconceptions that age has any effect on employability. Rather than the ageist approach of Jobs Growth Wales, the Welsh Conservative Journeys to Work will support people, young and old, to enter the workplace. Thank you.
I’m really proud to contribute to our debate today and highlight, once again, our new Stronger Futures Cymru policy. This will certainly boost relevant apprenticeships, and I will support training for people without any age barrier across Wales. Here we have some of the biggest barriers to work for young and older people, and these are, fundamentally, lack of opportunity, lack of confidence, lack of qualifications and lack of experience. It is really concerning, though, to note that 72 per cent of our Welsh businesses themselves have experienced difficulty in recruiting the right staff for them, and that 61 per cent fear that they will be unable to recruit enough high or skilled workers to meet their own demands, which would enable them to grow further. Over recess, last week, I met with three local, very strong businesses, having grown from very small microbusiness, all of whom told me that they are now struggling to find staff. Stronger Futures Cymru aims to address the growing skills gap, which we have seen opening up further under the Welsh Labour Government and which the Bevan Foundation has predicted to increase. Our micro, small and medium enterprises are vital to the Welsh economy, yet without the skilled workers they need, we run the risk of undermining our growth and their future potential. Our policy will use labour market intelligence to ensure that apprenticeship training is working towards fulfilling our future and current skill needs. Jobs Growth Wales: we do regret that it has failed to address the skills gap here in Wales as it is, with one in five of those who complete a placement finding themselves unemployed and a further one in five failing to complete their placement at all. That cannot be regarded as successful. Furthermore, the scheme itself admits that a staggering 73 per cent of those who completed a placement would have found employment even without the scheme. Stronger Futures Cymru will address this by ensuring resources—[Interruption.] Okay. Y Dirprwy Lywydd / The Deputy Presiding Officer
Joyce Watson. Joyce Watson
I thank you for taking an intervention. Would you just accept that the whole idea of Jobs Growth Wales was getting people into work then, not some time in the distant future? Janet Finch-Saunders
What I would agree on is that it discriminates against people who are actually of an age bracket that still have the skills, still have experience, and still have the ability and the desire to work, and that is failing them. Furthermore, we would make it easier for smaller businesses to offer relevant and meaningful work experience and apprenticeship opportunities, with apprenticeship grants for employers. Stronger Futures Cymru will also address the fundamental imbalance towards academic study and the lack of work-ready skills held by school leavers, as identified by the Enterprise and Business Committee. By strengthening links between educators and employers earlier, and by developing flexible apprenticeships, we can and will encourage more school leavers to enter employed training and work to end the notable gender imbalance in Welsh industries. Finally, Stronger Futures Cymru will end the strategic isolation of older people from accessing education as a result of exclusionary Welsh Labour Government policy. The proportion of those aged 50 to 64 unemployed and looking for work in my constituency of Aberconwy stands at 5.3 per cent, higher than the 3.9 per cent average across Wales. So, the inclusivity of our policy is something that I am particularly passionate about, and this is an issue I have raised previously. I’ve asked the First Minister, I’ve asked the Minister and the Deputy Minister to identify me one scheme where your Government supports over-50s, and you couldn’t even name one. And that’s on record. The Commissioner for Older People in Wales has stated that Wales could pay a high price for cuts to lifelong learning—cuts implemented by this Welsh Labour Government. It’s no good blaming the UK Government. She has further stated that we need to see a much wider recognition across all Government portfolios of the necessity to keep our older people in the workforce and bring them back into work as well. We have long called for greater support for older people looking to enter or re-enter the workforce and there are numerous reasons why they may wish to do so. It’s essential we recognise the wealth of talent held by our more mature people here in Wales, and that is talent that is going to waste. We must support older people in gaining meaningful employment, and dispel any misconceptions that age has any effect on employability. Rather than the ageist approach of Jobs Growth Wales, the Welsh Conservative Journeys to Work will support people, young and old, to enter the workplace. Thank you.