1. What is the Welsh Government doing to improve access to work experience placements for secondary school pupils in Wales? OAQ(5)0647(FM)

We continue to work with secondary schools and employers to help prepare young people for the world of work. This includes funding the Business Class project, delivered by Careers Wales in partnership with Business in the Community, which has established 81 school-business partnerships across Wales.

Thank you for that answer, First Minister, but, in previous years, when secondary school pupils were sent on placements to experience the world of work, it was the duty of Careers Wales to check that the employers and their workplaces were suitable, safe environments, and that legal requirements on insurance and risk assessment were met. However, your Government has forced Careers Wales to phase out this service due to budget cuts, thereby removing the opportunity for people to enjoy the benefit of work experience placements. Can the First Minister explain how stopping these safety checks due to budget cuts will promote and expand access to work experience placements in Wales?

As I understand it, Gwynedd and Anglesey have taken the decision to withdraw from offering work experience placements for pupils. In other parts of Wales, schools and local authorities have worked together to find new solutions in response to the change of services provided by Careers Wales in 2015.

First Minister, work experience is critical for young people, and those with learning difficulties and perhaps other neurological conditions, such as autism, which we’ll be discussing tomorrow, often find difficulty in getting out to the workplace. Now, there are some schools that put on assimilated work placements, and, for those, it’s wonderful because they are in a safe and familiar environment. But others need to go out and get that experience, because it helps them in their transition to adulthood. What more can the Welsh Government do to encourage employers to take on people with those conditions and learning difficulties, so that they can get that experience, so that they can get the transition into adulthood and be confident that they’re able to go out to the workplace?

We encourage schools to look to create those links with employers. I think it is important for some youngsters to get that experience first in a more controlled environment that makes them more comfortable, and then, of course, look at getting work placements in the future. But there will be examples—the Member for Aberavon has already mentioned some—where schools are working proactively in order to provide placements for youngsters with particular learning needs.

Thank you, Llywydd. It has been a great disappointment in my constituency as year 10 and 12 pupils hear that they won’t be going on work experience placements this year. I declare an interest as a father to one daughter in year 10, and another in year 12. Will the First Minister agree with this statement that Anglesey council officials certainly say is true, that what’s at the heart of this decision, beyond any doubt, is the decision taken by the Welsh Government to withdraw funding and therefore capacity from Careers Wales to check placements as they’ve done in the past?

Ddim o gwbl. Y cynghorwyr, yn fy marn i, sydd i fod i redeg awdurdod lleol, nid swyddogion, ta beth. Ond dim ond Gwynedd ac Ynys Môn sydd wedi cymryd y penderfyniad hyn. Rwy’n gwybod bod awdurdodau eraill yn edrych ar ffyrdd newydd i sicrhau bod yna lefydd ar gael.

First Minister, the best way to improve access to work experience placements for Welsh pupils is to improve links between our schools and industry. While there are many good examples across the country, is it not enough. What plans does your Government have to ensure that every school in Wales maintains close links with local businesses?

Most schools will want to do that anyway. As I said, most local authorities in Wales are working—and they’ve had plenty of notice—to see those links strengthened. They knew the changes were coming in 2015, but, despite that, of course, local authorities have been working proactively to maintain those links.

First Minister, the Welsh Government has a groundbreaking Fusion programme that contributes to many of the goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The Fusion programme seeks to encourage and empower young people to take an active part in arts, culture and heritage, and equally includes innovative work experience placements. Additionally, the Fusion programme in 2017 includes the priorities of employment and skills. First Minister, isn’t this further evidence that the Welsh Government encourages a dynamic taste of the world of work from all quarters of Welsh life for Welsh schoolchildren, and how then can the Welsh Government build on this excellent best practice?

We always look at good practice to see whether that practice can be extended across the whole of Wales. It’s right, of course, that young people have the opportunity not just to gain qualifications, but also to understand what the world of work requires and have a broad outlook on life. That’s what the Welsh baccalaureate is intended to deliver as well. But we always look at examples of good practice to see whether they can be extended.