Digital Skills

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:33 pm on 25 January 2022.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 2:33, 25 January 2022

(Translated)

First of all, I agree with what Rhun ap Iorwerth has said about the importance of drawing more young people into the programmes available in our schools and our colleges that focus on digital skills. Where we have done it already, we can see the success of those approaches. In the south-east, through our universities, we have developed people with the skills that have, in turn, attracted companies in the field of cybersecurity to that area. The largest cluster in that sector is here in Wales. One of the reasons that they have moved to Wales and created new jobs here is because of the work that our universities have done with those companies. We therefore develop people who have the necessary skills in order to achieve success in that sector. 

We can see on a practical level the case for doing more. That's why the new curriculum in our schools is going to be so important. That is why we are investing in colleges, not just higher education, but also further education, in order to try and create more opportunities, and to attract young people into a sector where the possibilities for employment in the future, and creating a pathway for young people into the future, are clear when you look at what's happened already.