5. Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Further Education Funding

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:29 pm on 21 November 2018.

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Photo of Bethan Sayed Bethan Sayed Plaid Cymru 4:29, 21 November 2018

Oscar, you mentioned diversity and I think that's really important. We have to ensure that we encourage people from all walks of life to be able to upskill and to take part in our further education structures. We were at the Treforest campus last week, where we met with young entrepreneurs from different walks of life, and, sometimes, if you grow up in some communities of Wales, you might not necessarily think about starting a business, you might not necessarily think about how you could be innovative in that regard. So, I think that was a really inspiring event that we held to try and see how we can keep that expertise here in Wales and how we can develop that for the future.

Vikki Howells, you spoke about what the Welsh Government has done and you spoke about the investment in your area, and I think that's really important. You also mentioned funding, support staff, and the fact that you met with UCU members, and I think that's really important as well, so that we ensure that our engagement with trade unions is alive and well. 

And in the tiny time that I have left, I'll mention Caroline Jones. You also mentioned visiting Gower college—Gower college has had quite a lot of headlines here today—and the respect that you had for the work that was being committed there.

So, thank you, everybody, for taking part in the debate, and I hope this is the first of many in relation to further education here.