4. Statement by the Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning: Progress Report on the Employability Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:27 pm on 18 September 2018.

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Photo of Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Labour 4:27, 18 September 2018

I think, probably of all the issues in this employability plan, this is one of the issues that, I think, as a Government, we really need to focus on. Project SEARCH is a great project; I went to visit it last week in Bridgend. So, this is a project with the local health board; they've worked with the local college, with people with learning disabilities, and they have provided them with a whole year's work experience, effectively, with a view that they will in the end get into jobs. I think that's precisely what we need to be looking at. The figures that I heard, actually, while I was there, were even more dramatic than the ones you've set out. So, the number of autistic people that they suggested, in the UK, who were without work was about 18 per cent. So, we've got a lot of work to do in this area and I think we need to be thinking very creatively in terms of how we can use our Welsh Government funding to maybe think about reserving jobs for people with certain learning disabilities. That's something that I will be looking into in the next few months, because this is a really, really challenging area for us, but I'm really pleased that you've brought that up as an issue.