I welcome the opportunity to contribute in the debate today. It is worth reflecting that two thirds of young people do not attend university, and, actually, the FE sector, whether it be part time or full time, is the main learning plank for them to enhance their career prospects. I think that's an important consideration. The leader of the opposition did touch on the enormous amount of staff that are tied up in the teaching in our FE colleges the length and breadth of Wales, which in 2013 was 9,330, sadly declined to 7,815 in 2015-16, and has seen a welcome increase up to about 8,500, but that's still some 800 teaching positions down on where we were some six or seven years ago, and that is a critical part of the teaching element that does need to be rectified if we're going to increase the productivity and upskilling of our workforce here in Wales.

It's also worth reflecting that, in our FE colleges, for example, nearly 170,000 students, in one shape or form, participate in educational experience within FE colleges the length and breadth of Wales, but I'd like to focus on the agricultural sector and in particular, sadly, the very, very small number of agricultural apprenticeships that are offered here in Wales. It seems to be that 1 per cent of apprenticeships offered in Wales in the last two academic years were in agriculture, and that surely is a very worrying concern. Because, obviously, from my own personal experience, if I could touch on that for a moment, the way the agricultural industry has developed over the last 30 years, it's almost today unrecognisable to where we were in the 1990s. And that's driven by consumer choice, because obviously consumers have an ability to choose the product they wish to buy and the consumer wants to be more informed about how that product has been developed and how that product has been produced, and in particular how that product is presented on the shelves of our supermarkets.

So, we need an agricultural workforce that is skilled, that is in touch with its consumer base, whereas maybe 30 to 40 years ago it was traditional that many farmers, just as soon as they'd left the farm gate, paid no attention at all to the way the product was delivered and what added value can be put into that product. And that's where FE colleges have a critical role to play, I would suggest. And so we do desperately need to increase that percentage of agricultural students that see their learning environment in the FE sector. I'd be grateful if the Minister, in her response today, could give us some indication of how the Welsh Government will look to increase those numbers of agricultural apprenticeships that are available via the FE sector, because staying at 1 per cent is something that's not going to be acceptable in the future, in particular as nearly 4 per cent of the workforce is based in the agricultural industry.

And it is also worth reflecting that, as the Welsh economy faces its unique challenges, demographically that's one of the biggest challenges we face, because between 2016 and 2041 the number of 16 to 64-year-olds is set to decrease by nearly 5 per cent. So, if we're going to increase the productivity of our workforce, and in particular our overall economy, we need to make sure that the skills levels do increase so, ultimately, per worker we can get more work and productive work that adds value to our overall economy. And that ultimately then will drive up wage levels, which proves to have a more prosperous economy. And how do you drive up wage levels? Well, that's by upskilling that very workforce that we spend so much time, week in, week out, talking about here.

And so, again, I would very much welcome to understand how the Minister, along with our FE colleges and those within the sector, will seek to drive up that productivity that, sadly, in Wales has been so stubbornly behind the rest of the United Kingdom. I think I'm correct in saying that, on GVA per hour worked, the only part of the United Kingdom that is behind us is Northern Ireland. Surely, with the 14 colleges that we have here in Wales and some of the excellent facilities those colleges have invested in in recent years—. Cardiff and Vale College just down the road on Dumballs Road is an exemplar of good progress, and, in my own region, many students also access Bridgend College and the Pencoed campus. So, we do see the campuses there, but what we're doing is seeing this stubborn lack of productivity feeding into the economy overall. In particular, if the Minister looks to her own area of Powys, for example, where productivity is 35 per cent below the UK average, I'm sure that that's something that the Minister will focus on, and seek to try and address and reverse that 35 per cent decline in productivity that has Powys, for example—the largest county within Wales, and a large agricultural county—lagging so far behind. Because that's not good for local services and it's not good for the local economy in particular, because that keeps low wage levels within that particular area.

So, I do hope that there'll be a positive discussion about the important role that further education plays within our education estate here in Wales—the recognition of the size of the FE sector, but the importance of both part-time learning and full-time learning within that particular sphere of education here in Wales. And let's not forget that there is a good news story to say about FE, but we mustn't also take our eye off the ball about where some of these stubborn problems exist around productivity, around correcting the demographic problems that we face with a declining workforce aged between 16 and 64. And, above all, making sure that we can actually drive forward that experience that encourages more people to access FE education, both by investing financially and investing in the courses available, and that means putting more lecturers and more teachers into those colleges so that we address that shortfall. I hope that Members will support the motion that's before them this afternoon.