5. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the impact of travel costs on access to apprenticeships? OAQ51670

We take the welfare of apprentices seriously and we do recognise that travel costs can be a barrier for young apprentices, though this is an employed programme.  We will be looking at what opportunities are available to remove any access barriers to the programme, and that will include travel costs.

I’m very enthusiastic for there to be far clearer communication with young people at 16 years of age that they should consider apprenticeships as an alternative option. A constituent contacted me recently who was also very supportive of apprenticeships, and both his sons are currently on apprenticeships at the moment. But, he is concerned about this barrier in terms of high travel costs for those attending apprenticeships, and that that is particularly acute in rural areas where, of course, the workplace can be a very long way away. What special consideration can the Government give in light of the answer that we’ve heard from you this afternoon to very specific considerations for rural areas, where the workplace for an apprentice isn’t on his or her doorstep and can be a very long way away?

May I say that I have looked into this issue? One of the problems is that because this is an area where we do give additional funding, that could be seen as a taxable benefit, and that then creates a problem because this assistance isn’t available to all. So, what we don’t want to see is a situation where money is taken away from them because we are giving them this benefit. So, it is more complicated than you might see at first glance. 

Of course, we have had this mytravelpass, which gives a third off ticket prices for people who are aged 16 to 18, and that is currently being evaluated. I believe that that takes us in the right direction. However, I do understand that this is a problem for people living in rural areas where distances are a factor. So, we are looking into this and we are considering now what the solution is and how we should respond in terms of mytravelpass.

Cabinet Secretary, affordable transport is vital if young people are to be able to access education and training to obtain the skills our economy needs. The National Union of Students points out that some apprentices are paying 20 per cent of their income on travel and have called for the introduction of an apprentice travel card. I just heard from the Minister there about taxable benefit. I think that's not possible, because the children are always exempt from anything. So why is this? I think don't mix oranges with apples here.

Does the Cabinet Secretary agree that providing all 16 to 20-year-olds in Wales with a card offering a free bus pass would remove a huge barrier to young people accessing education, training and job opportunities, which our side of the Chamber has been asking for for many, many years? You're not even listening.

Can I point out that, when you're on an apprenticeship course, you actually receive an income, and any income is, theoretically, taxable? So, we have got to be sensitive. We have been looking at what is possible, because it has been recognised as a taxable benefit. So, we're not comparing apples with oranges, we're actually making sure that these people don't get into more trouble.

I do think that what we need to do is to make sure that we put pressure, sometimes, on some of the bus companies. If you look in Cardiff, for example, the Iff card, there are discounts for 16 to 18-year-olds, so it is possible for that to happen. But already—if it's available to everyone, it's not a problem. It's when you start just giving it to special circumstances, that's when it creates a problem.