Thank you. I'm pleased to be able to take part in this debate. I won't go through the whole of the motion, because I believe that we've exercised much of that in previous debate, so I'll go through the amendments.

I think it is a bit ironic for the Tories to say that they want people to fulfil potential, because our first amendment is something that may be threatened by that, because of the prospect of the precariousness of the future of Erasmus+, which has been a vital part of the education mix in higher education and further education for many years, and youth organisations and schools can also apply for Erasmus as well as adult learners. The skill enhancement potential is clear and Erasmus can offer invaluable experience of new ways of working and studying, allowing insight into different practices from across Europe and greatly improving employability and the prospects of those who participate. Last year, ColegauCymru secured £1.57 million of Erasmus+ funding for FE colleges and colleges remain committed to supporting European mobility for their learners and staff, despite the uncertainty of Brexit. And this funding will enable over 640 vocational learners, apprentices and staff from colleges across Wales to take part in that exciting training programme.

For some students who come from very socially deprived backgrounds in Wales, this is a real life-changing experience for them. One childcare student who went to do a two-week work placement in Italy didn't even have a passport and had never travelled before on her own. So, in fact, if she hadn't have had that opportunity, she may never have had the prospect, then, of studying in another country and widening her horizons, which I think some of us in this room need to do more of.

The UK Government have said, and I quote:

'The Government is committed to continuing the academic relationship between the UK and the EU, including through the next Erasmus+ programme if it is in our interests to do so.'

How is it not in the interests of Wales to be a part of this programme? I don't know why they had even bothered to use that word. They can see, can they not, how important Erasmus is to the people of Wales? They would be foolish to end their involvement.

With regard to our amendment 1, an apprenticeship should not only be considered an access point into one type of skilled employment, but an educational experience as well. And many apprentices do tell us, and they've told my office, that they would like the option and access to opportunities for other educational and skills engagement. And, particularly, young apprentices and those on foundation level apprenticeships tell us that at times they can feel disengaged and not part of the wider further education community. It's also crucial to maintain quality, and whilst the great majority of providers offer apprenticeships to a high standard, with a focus on the intended skills and work, some do not and some are better than others.

I've said it before in this Chamber, and I'll say it again: we were told of one example where a young woman was in an apprenticeship at an architect's firm in Wales when it emerged that at some point during the apprenticeship a receptionist went off sick, she was sucked into being that receptionist and then never went back to doing the actual apprenticeship course she was there to do. So, I think that's criminal, really, that a woman was deprived of that experience.

This speaks to a need to have a better, more formal and uniform process of ongoing engagement with apprenticeships, which could include all apprentices under the age of 21 being formally partnered with an FE college in order to secure appropriate support, including access to college days or off-site training/education for key skills or other education choices that the apprentice may want, and in partnership with FE colleges to ensure access to student voices within that further education situation.

Time is tight, so our amendment 4: living costs and pay are one of the most significant barriers to apprenticeships and on-the-job skills training. While we in Plaid Cymru would like the Assembly to have powers over statutory wage levels, we don't. But in principle we should recognise pay as a significant barrier.

The Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee, which I sit on, recognised this problem in a report delivered in 2018, where we said that a living support grant for apprenticeships, comparable to living support given to those remaining in full-time education, was needed. Currently the national minimum wage for all first-year apprentices, whether 16, 26 or 46 years of age, is £3.90 for every hour in work and training or study. That's £7,605 per year. How does this allow someone who may have financial commitments and wants an apprenticeship the ability to retrain? We don't think that that happens very well at the moment and we believe that this should be rectified to increase first-year pay to the corresponding minimum wage relevant to someone's age.

There are many other points that we would have liked to have added to this motion, but we can't discuss that today. We should be looking at the Augar review for England so that we are encouraging more part-time study. I know that the Minister actually has worked really hard in this area and has improved those statistics. We'd also like to see degree apprenticeships expand further, understanding the need to match the numbers qualifying with skills needs, but this cannot be the only focus because it won't be sustainable.

The last point I'd make is a point I made in questions to the Minister this week. It's about significantly looking into how we can address the brain drain here in Wales and how we can support and encourage people to stay in Welsh institutions so that we can encourage those institutions to thrive and to prosper for the future.