4. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government support for adult part-time learning? OAQ51966

We made it clear in 'Prosperity for All' that we recognise the value of education and aim to instil in everyone a passion to learn throughout their lives. We support a range of adult learning opportunities, with a clear focus on supporting those in greatest need of our help.

I attended a seminar with the Learning and Work Institute last week, in which those in need of returning to work, and returning to education and developing their skills, were highlighted. And one of the issues that was raised was the fact that those people returning to education may find it uncomfortable and intimidating going to formal college settings, where they may be dominated by young people, who are developing their skills in those environments and have perhaps a different set of skill needs. Therefore, community learning is really important, where returning learners can develop their skills in community settings. Would you be willing to commit that to be part of the national skills strategy, and also that the new post-compulsory education and training body overseeing further education and higher education also puts community learning at the heart of their mission too?

Yes. We made it clear in 'Prosperity for All' that we recognise the value of education. We want to instill a passion for education, of course, in our people, and that means, of course, supporting those in greatest need of our help. And that means, of course, making sure that, where a community setting is the most appropriate, they are available in the future. In terms of the Tertiary Education and Research Commission for Wales, for them, their task will be to provide strategic direction and leadership for the whole PCET sector, including adult learning, and to make sure that we provide the services that people need as close to home as possible.

First Minister, the people of Newport have been promised significant investment with a new digital cluster, which could revitalise the city. Will you provide the opportunities for adults currently on low-paid employment to retrain for Newport's emerging digital economy?

Sorry, I missed the second part of that question.

Will you provide the opportunities for adults who are currently in low-paid employment to retrain—that's likely part time—for Newport's emerging digital economy?

Well, of course, in the course of this afternoon, the Assembly will know more about the employability plan, and, of course, raising people's skills, and therefore their ability to move into better-paid jobs, is an important part of that.

Of course, we have an ageing population, we have a rising retirement age, and, of course, there are future job losses looming through automation, and the older generation will need to adapt and learn new skills in a way maybe that hasn't been the case in the past. Now, the Welsh Government will therefore need to provide more support for those people at these key transition points. So, can I ask how will adult community learning fit into your employability plan so that we can ensure that all adults have the access they'll increasingly need in years to come to lifelong learning?

Well, we will shortly be consulting on the future funding and delivery structure of adult learning in Wales. We want to look at the current inequity—is the word, I think, I would use for it—of learning opportunities across Wales. Our vision for adult learning has to be one that focuses on tackling poverty, to make sure that not only do people have the skills, of course, to access the workplace, but they have the opportunity, as the Member rightly says, to learn throughout their lives. The world is a fast-changing place, and it's getting even faster, as the Member for Llanelli and others have already said. So, that consultation will be an important part of the direction that we take in terms of providing the right level of adult learning, remembering, of course, the amount of money that we've had cut from our budget since 2010.