Ken Skates: ...active. It's absolutely crucial for your physical health, mental health and well-being. In terms of the importance of other colleagues in Government and other departments, I think in particular education and health are crucial in challenging and changing behaviours of people in order to get more people physically active, not just in terms of physical activity, but generally to be more...
Ken Skates: In terms of safety, one of the most inhibiting factors that prevents many people from travelling to work or travelling to school or travelling to services by foot or on a bike is the fear of fast-moving traffic. Twenty-miles-per-hour zones have proven to be very successful around schools. These are available for local authorities to develop if they so wish. It's certainly something that we...
Ken Skates: ..., and as we take forward the vision of the south Wales metro, we're determined to ensure that we link in developments in transport with developments of our hospital and health estates, and with school estates as well, to get maximum value for the public purse.
Ken Skates: Well, it's been a particular issue that we've examined very closely over the course of many years, with the current education Secretary and also with her predecessor. Changes to the curriculum will be crucial in driving up an entrepreneurial spirit at an earlier age, but we're already investing heavily in the Big Ideas Wales service that's rolled out across schools in Wales. That...
Ken Skates: ...then be able to ensure that all initiatives across Government, whether it be city and growth deals, whether it be the development of infrastructure, whether it be the development of hospitals and schools and skills training provision, can all be aligned to meet those strong regional projects that are going to develop a future economy in Wales.
Ken Skates: ...on a bike and to walk, that they get the right support, and that they also get the right training. And that's why I'm particularly keen to ensure that we go on supporting the right programmes at a school level, and we're doing that by extending for a further year the programme within our schools estates to ensure that young people are equipped with the right skills and the confidence to...
Ken Skates: Yes. Our active travel promotional programme, Active Journeys, is delivered to schools right across the length and breadth of Wales, including to schools in Cynon Valley. Local authorities also have a duty to promote active travel in their community, and I'll be delivering an oral statement on active travel this month, I believe on 27 February.
Ken Skates: ...with that sort of horizon scanning over a period of a single decade, two decades, right out to 2050, analysing the challenges and the opportunities for Wales. Also, there are units within higher education that do just that. There's also the Public Policy Institute for Wales, which has a responsibility and a role for ensuring that we are horizon scanning in a way that can equip our...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for her question and welcome her to the Assembly Chamber? As somebody who lives not too far from myself, we last debated at Penley high school, I believe it was, in the election of 2015. I must say that I've been incredibly impressed as well by the speed at which the Menai Science Park is being developed. It wasn't long ago that we cut the sod on that particular...
Ken Skates: ...one of the key concerns that particularly young people have in using active travel as an alternative to bus services or other forms of motor vehicles. It's quite telling that, up to secondary school, the majority of people will walk to school, whereas at secondary school they take a bus. Now, in many instances, schools are too far from homes for people to walk, but they're not necessarily...
Ken Skates: ...transport. Indeed, 85 per cent of journeys made in Wales are by car, with bus and rail journeys each accounting for approximately 8 per cent. Walking is the highest mode chosen for the primary school journey, which is replaced by bus travel at the secondary level. Demand for public and private transport is forecast to increase significantly over the next 10 years. Forecasts show increased...
Ken Skates: I'd like to thank the Member for welcoming the economic action plan, and for giving it his party's best wishes. The Member raises some important points about education, and the role that education and skills training has in developing a modern and secure economy. I think, also, the Member touched on—. I think it's worth, actually, my reflecting on the point that was made about appropriate...
Ken Skates: ...Howells said about the need to address self-employment challenges for people who wish to be employed in, if you like, jobs of the everyday and that they're taken on board—that's why we're keen in schools to ensure that enterprise troopers and that role models don't just encourage young people into tech-led, cutting-edge entrepreneurship activities, but give young people a sense of pride...
Ken Skates: ...between Business Wales and Careers Wales. Securing closer integration between the two services has the potential to better connect the delivery of business support and employer engagement with the education, economy and skills system, and a more streamlined approach to services for our customers. We want to ensure that entrepreneurship is part of the suite of options made available to...
Ken Skates: ...results, with 70 per cent of young people under the age of 25 now having aspirations to work for themselves. And 375 role models have engaged with more than 56,000 young people in 86 per cent of schools, further education colleges and higher education institutions. I do think that we need to celebrate the successes of young people in business. We have some excellent examples of the...
Ken Skates: ...from most reliable independent commentators continues to be in line with the analysis contained within our White Paper, 'Securing Wales' Future'. We've also commissioned, though, Cardiff Business School to undertake research to extend our analysis, drawing on discussions with businesses from a range of sectors. The report considers the potential impacts of both World Trade Organization...
Ken Skates: ...from any discounted travel scheme are at the heart of any decision that we make. The consultation on discounted bus travel for younger people in Wales aims to capture the views of young people, of schools, of community groups, of colleges, and of bus companies on a scheme that is both attractive and affordable—one that can practically support people in their life, in their work and in...
Ken Skates: ...our thinking on these very important issues. To recap, our long-term aims for our local services are to increase the number of people of all ages using buses for their daily commute to work, for education, for access to health services and for leisure purposes; the availability of good-quality and accessible local bus services for passengers as part of an integrated Welsh public transport...
Ken Skates: ...includes Welsh interests insofar as jobs are concerned and insofar as research and development is concerned. He identified the fact that research and development is strongly embedded within higher education institutions within Wales as a major reason why it’s in such a strong position.
Ken Skates: ...continues, and that project will be taken forward. I think one of the strengths of the research and development base in Tata Steel’s Wales operations is that it’s linked so strongly to higher education institutions in Wales, that it’s embedded within the higher education institution estate, and so that project will be taken forward. The most important thing for steel making in the UK...
