8. Statement by the Minister for Economy: The Young Person’s Guarantee

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:24 pm on 16 November 2021.

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Photo of Jane Dodds Jane Dodds Liberal Democrat 5:24, 16 November 2021

Thank you for your statement, Minister. As we all know, the last two years have been incredibly difficult for young people, as opportunities have been scaled back or even lost altogether. Added to that, our economy has been on rocky ground for much of the last decade, with younger people often bearing the brunt, so I do welcome this initiative as an opportunity to bring the needs of young people together with the needs of small businesses. I wanted to echo the contribution from the FSB Cymru that the young person's guarantee must 'think small first', and must work hand in hand with small businesses to maximise the potential of this scheme to the benefit of young people, small businesses and our economy. Not only do small businesses make up the greatest proportion of businesses in Wales—especially so in rural areas—but they are tapped into the local communities, providing range of essential services, and have a great diversity of skill.

You may remember, Minister, that I wrote to you on behalf of a baker in my region just a few weeks ago, asking for help with growing their small family business. They said that they found it difficult to navigate the options available to them and were keen to bring on board an apprentice. So, I do hope that the principle of simplicity for these young people engaging with the guarantee will also apply to small businesses seeking to play their part in supporting young people and our economy.

I would also welcome clarity on how a meaningful offer will be measured or characterised for young people and for businesses, and, if I could, Minister, ask what a meaningful offer looks like across Wales, because a meaningful offer will look very different in Newport or Cardiff than it does in Brecon or Machynlleth, not least given the make-up of businesses, transport and access to further and higher education institutions.

And finally, there are schemes across Europe that marry opportunities for young people with economic development in communities reliant on tourism. This helps to transition those local economies to a more sustainable footing and supports young people in the locality. I wonder if you could outline how this guarantee could help communities to achieve that outcome. Thank you—diolch yn fawr iawn.