Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:18 pm on 12 October 2022.
Can I thank Luke Fletcher for giving me a minute in this debate? EMA is very important. From my time as a further education college lecturer in RCT, if EMA had not existed many students who went on to successful careers in ICT would not have been able to continue their studies. EMA provides the finance to allow them to continue studying and then move on to higher education. EMA allows those from less well-off families to continue to study past 16 years of age. It is means tested, and based upon total family income. Does it catch everyone that needs it? No. But it provides a lifeline to many. I agree with Luke Fletcher that it needs to be expanded. More people need to be eligible for it. But it's providing such a tremendous opportunity to so many young people from less well-off backgrounds. As someone who, from both personal experience and seeing my former students succeed, has seen the benefit education has on income—the better educated you are, the better the chance of getting a good job—that should not be restricted to only those who come from affluent families; every child should have the same opportunity. EMA is a necessity for many.