9. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government initiatives to tackle youth unemployment in the south Wales valleys? OQ57504

Llywydd, the Welsh Government is determined that there will be no lost generation in Wales as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Our young person's guarantee is an ambitious programme, designed to provide everyone under the age of 25 in south Wales, including the south Wales Valleys, with the offer of work, education, training or self-employment.

I'm grateful to the First Minister for that. I wonder, First Minister, if you could outline your vision for how this will be delivered in places such as Blaenau Gwent, where, historically, we've had difficulties accessing some of those opportunities, and to ensure that there is equality of access and equality of opportunity for people wherever they live in Wales. I'm anxious that a young person in Tredegar or Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale or Abertillery has the same opportunity to access an apprenticeship, to access opportunities for further and higher education, to access an opportunity to begin a career and work as a child growing up elsewhere, a young person living elsewhere. So, I'm anxious to understand, First Minister, how we can ensure that this is delivered equally across the whole of Wales.

Well, I thank Alun Davies for that, Llywydd. I said in my original answer that the young person's guarantee focuses on more opportunities in education, in skill acquisition and directly in employment. And I will just very briefly mention examples of all three, especially in the south Wales Valleys and in the Member's own constituency.

He will know that part of the inspiration for the idea of a youth guarantee came from a visit that he and I made to Thales in the spring of last year, when we learnt particularly of the very committed work going on there to advance opportunities for young women, for jobs in science and engineering, and that work will continue in February: on 9 February, a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics inspiration event for schools in the Tech Valleys region; and, on 28 February, a careers event for engineering students from Coleg Gwent and from Merthyr college. That success is underpinning a very significant proposal for an advanced engineering centre involving Blaenau Gwent council and Coleg Gwent that will provide 400 places for further education and other students to gain those skills that are needed in advanced manufacturing. Those skills are also, Llywydd, central to our apprenticeship programme, where, for example, over 100 young adults have benefited from the shared apprenticeship programme in Blaenau Gwent in recent times.

Again, Llywydd, I was with Alun Davies when we both met senior members of the Ciner company to discuss the latest move forward in their plans to bring 600 new jobs to Ebbw Vale. And that conveyor belt of skilled young people—skills gained, for example, at an advanced engineering centre—was pivotal. We heard from them that it was pivotal to their decision to locate a factory in the south Wales Valleys. So, on all three aspects of the young person's guarantee—education, skill acquisition, leading then directly into employment—you can see that guarantee in practical operation in the Member's own constituency, and that is replicated then in other parts of Wales. 

And finally, question 10, Rhun ap Iorwerth.