A funding package of over £49 million to help young people into employment and in education has today been announced by Education Minister Leighton Andrews.
Speaking at the Welsh Assembly Government’s first economic summit of 2010 the Minister said:
“It is imperative that we make sure every young person aged between 16 and 24 is given a genuine chance of a proper job, training or education.”
The additional £49 million investment in 2010 will fund education and training places, the Young Person’s Guarantee, extra funding for student finance, the continuation of Pathways to Apprenticeships and the Young Recruits Programmes for another year. The funding will also be used to keep Skill Build and ReAct working for Wales.
At the summit, Leighton Andrews also announced the creation of a Task and Finish group to be chaired by Martin Mansfield of the Wales TUC to look at the Welsh Assembly Government’s response to youth unemployment, how schemes can be simplified and will identify gaps in provision. The group will report back by the 31st May.
The Minister said:
“Raising Wales’ employment rate and tackling economic inactivity and unemployment was at the forefront of my previous Ministerial position, leading the Assembly Government’s approach to regeneration. I want to continue that important work in my new role as Education Minister.
“As we move out of recession we need to take the opportunities which the upturn can offer. In order to take advantage of new economic opportunities we must give our young people the high quality skills they need to succeed in employment.
“The significant package of funding which I have announced today helps bind together all of the Welsh Assembly Government, Job Centre Plus and DWP’s initiatives to help get young people back into the labour market, standing Wales in good economic stead for the future.”
Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills Lesley Griffiths said:
“ReAct is proving to be an extremely effective measure during these challenging economic times. The additional funding we’ve allocated for ReAct will allow the scheme to build on its successes, helping those who have been made redundant gain the training and skills they need to re-enter and prosper in the labour market.”
