Employability and Skills

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 1:57 pm on 23 March 2022.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 1:57, 23 March 2022

Thank you for the question and the reminder of some of the significant challenges we have, and the £1 billion shortchanging in Wales in replacement EU funds will make a big difference to what we're able to do and the speed at which we're able to do it. In setting out our economic mission and the employability and skills plan, we're focusing on what we can do, so that's why we're going to continue to work to help to bring people closer to the labour market, those people who aren't there already, and we know that there are significant and differential outcomes for people with disabilities, as Joyce Watson highlighted earlier, but also economic activity rates in communities like the ones that the Member represents. So, I'm confident that we will be able to make a difference, but my frustration is we could do so much more if we had a UK Government on our side. I hope that, during this term, we'll see a change in that respect from the UK, but we're determined to do everything we can to make sure there's a better story to tell for the Rhondda and other similar communities and make sure we really can be successful and you won't need to get out to get on.