Vaughan Gething: ...to in some of Paul Davies's questions, about understanding who we need to work with and who we need to listen to to understand what we can do more successfully and to make sure that both employers, education and training providers—make sure that their provision is available and that they're proactively looking for it, as well as matching people with the opportunities that exist. You'll...
Vaughan Gething: ...that we've got and actually starting off the guarantee and understanding where we go, because in some parts of it, it'll be clear. We already collect data, for example, on who goes into further education, it's an easy thing to collect, as well as collecting the data on, for example, those people accessing different opportunities—Jobs Growth Wales+, ReAct+ and other employability...
Vaughan Gething: ..., and how we're actually dealing with a diverse range of young people, and the complexity, it's because of a number of things. So, some young people have a successful route already into work, education or training. High numbers of people go into post-16 education without the need for additional intervention—some of our challenge there is how we can help with the quality of what they...
Vaughan Gething: ...-year anniversary of the launch of the young person's guarantee here in Wales. This key programme for government commitment provides under-25s in Wales with the offer of support to gain a place in education or training, support to find a job, or support to become self-employed. I recognise the importance of work for our young people, and I want all young people in Wales to be able to...
Vaughan Gething: ...so they don’t go under before the help is provided, and that they’re passed on to non-domestic customers, and that’s not just businesses, of course; lots of our key public services, including schools, are in that category, and really do need the help that has been signalled. Now, whilst I do welcome the support that has been signalled, it may not be sufficient for some of our small...
Vaughan Gething: ...of products on the shelves at slightly different price points as well. I'm not aware that there's going to be a challenge in terms of that broader food offer, but on the terms of food supply into schools, for example, I think that is a fair point about one supplier disappearing when actually, of course, schools don't have a chance to reset in that way, which is why the work alongside the...
Vaughan Gething: ...family and community groups where women took on more of the caring role and less of the economic activity role. That's taken us back. In my own family, we had real challenges at the time with home schooling, but it was part of my job to do some of that as well. I couldn't simply say, 'My job is more important than my wife's, so she needs to take care of our son.' He's my son too. And so,...
Vaughan Gething: .... Look, as Laura Anne Jones knows very well, we've committed in the capital budget to significant investment in improving sporting facilities. The programme of investment in twenty-first century schools—we've made sure that we deliver facilities that aren't just right for schools, but also for community use as well. We work alongside local authorities in doing so and are proud to do so....
Vaughan Gething: ...has organised a concert to take Wales to the world in New York, which took place last night and will be broadcast this weekend. The Urdd have delivered their biggest singing jamboree ever across schools, involving more than 230,000 children, and StreetGames Wales have reached out to our least well-off communities, delivering doorstep sports sites across 36 communities in Wales. This is...
Vaughan Gething: ...workforce already—and what you can do to upskill people in the workplace as well. I attended this morning a Skills Cymru programme. They're expecting 5,000 people towards the end of their high school career to look at future choices, and apprenticeship options and options in future skills are very much part of what they're talking about. So, there is a deliberate and purposeful...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. So, there has been an uplift in QR funding that the education Minister provided to higher education institutions. You're right that we have a real challenge in the removal of structural funds and identifying a replacement. It is absolutely essential that Wales is much more successful at gaining funds from UKRI. That's a case that is being made directly and has been made...
Vaughan Gething: ...services. If we had the ability to do so, then, in direct contrast to what's likely to happen, I think we would see direct benefits for the private sector. The numbers of people, the quality of education people get, and the quality of public services make a real difference to all of those things. It also makes a real difference to local economies, where people spend their money locally....
Vaughan Gething: ...fact that we, collectively across Wales—businesses and universities too—need to be better at not just gaining more from the research and innovation that takes place within higher and further education and how that leads into the world of business, but, actually, that we need to be better at gaining more from UK-wide innovation funds. One of the things I do think has been welcome is...
Vaughan Gething: ...lots of people will be looking to take part in different activities. And what we're doing within this programme is making it easy for a lot of people to get involved. Like I said, every primary school will be engaged in at least one of the projects. But, more than that, I think you'll see lots of different clubs and organisations looking to engage their own supporter base, and lots of...
Vaughan Gething: ...think about the Urdd, they may have an office literally over the way from here, but they're very much an all-Wales organisation and they're running a project that will go into every single primary school in Wales. So, there are many, many all-Wales projects, and actually, if you look at the geographic focus, and where there is only one particular geography where it's based, it's actually...
Vaughan Gething: ...to invest in sporting facilities, with a capital budget of £24 million over the next three years to support investment in facilities across all sports. We also invest in facilities through the schools capital programme and, indeed, directly through local authorities. But, beyond that, there is an opportunity for all of us, as individuals, businesses, organisations and, indeed, as...
Vaughan Gething: ...guarantee is with people who are near the labour market or job ready. Some apprentices know what they want to do and they don't struggle with the choices they make. Lots of young people in further education have a career path that's mapped out for them. Lots of the other work we're talking about, though, is persuading people to get nearer to the labour market, to be ready, and that's where...
Vaughan Gething: ...door for people to get through, but we still need people to understand where and how to go about that, so that work is going to be ongoing. But I think, for example, the work we're doing in further education will be helpful with that, about a new access point where a lot of our young people already are, to get them to the right place for their future aspirations. When we go through, not...
Vaughan Gething: ...those young people who face disadvantage and inequality in accessing work, we will be creating a more equal Wales and a stronger economy. Fourteen per cent of young people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training. That rate is too high, and our support is wedded to the long-term ambition to reduce this rate to at least 10 per cent. This means reaching and maintaining an...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. We launched our ambitious young person's guarantee in November last year, with the aim of supporting 16 to 24-year-olds to access work, education, training or business start-up support. We made this commitment so that no-one would be left behind, and have committed £1.4 billion a year to support young people across Wales. And the need for the young...
