Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales – in the Senedd at 2:03 pm on 27 January 2021.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 2:03, 27 January 2021

Helen Mary Jones raises yet another important point, and that is that no young person should have to move out of their community in order to move up in the world. They simply should not have to move away from home if they do not wish to do so. In support of young people, who we know from previous recessions will find it more difficult to enter the jobs market, we have established the barriers fund, we've established the COVID commitment and we've enhanced the Communities for Work Plus budget.

In particular, the COVID commitment provides for thousands of apprenticeship opportunities that would otherwise be lost, an extension to the pilot schemes of the personal learning accounts—we're making it a national scheme—and, of course, it provides, crucially at this time, I think, further support for mental health and resilience, which is most definitely needed for all people, but particularly for young people. The barriers fund is focused on young people in particular, but also people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. That allows individuals to draw down grants of up to £2,000 to set up their own businesses. That fund will also be aligned with support and advice from Business Wales to give those start-ups the best prospects for the future.

There are other schemes in place that are designed to support those who are furthest from the jobs market and those who are most likely to be adversely impacted by coronavirus, including the incentive scheme that we established for apprenticeships, where a business is able to draw down up to £3,000 if they take on a young person as an apprentice. All of these schemes are designed to ensure that as many young people as possible do not experience the long-term, deep, scarring effects of an economic downturn that we know, in previous generations, too many people have had to endure.