Young Person’s Guarantee will help ensure a level playing field for all young learners in Wales.
Today’s announcement by Welsh Government pledging to provide everyone under the age of 25 with the offer of work, education, training, or self-employment will be essential to ensure that young people are given a level playing field and are not adversely affected by the Covid19 pandemic in the longer term.
Aside from the effects of the pandemic over the past 15 months, ColegauCymru has noted for some time that a challenging period faces many learners between the ages of 16 and 25, regardless of their chosen route of further/higher education or training. As such, the call for increased provision for young people was a key ask in our policy asks for the recent Senedd Elections.
Across the border in England, young people up to the age of 19 have a statutory right to education, which is not the case here in Wales. We reiterate our call on the Welsh Government to provide learners, up to the age of 25, with the statutory right to access education or learning opportunities. The announcement is a welcome move and a solid foundation for this provision, and the ongoing challenges facing young people as a direct result of Covid19 mean that this is even more important.
ColegauCymru Chief Executive Iestyn Davies said,
“We welcome the commitment from the Minister for the Economy and Transport to ensure that no young people in Wales are left behind. This is a promising first step and we look forward to hearing more about how the government will make this guarantee a reality.”
Today’s announcement allows not only for the opportunity to gain qualifications, but for young people to engage in training and to have meaningful work experiences, and to be able to express themselves in the world of work. It will also be essential to ensure sufficient support to employers for this investment to successfully contribute to the essential post-Covid economic recovery.
Further Information
Welsh Government Press Release
“Young Person’s Guarantee will help ensure there’s no lost generation in Wales”, Vaughan Gething
21 June 2021
ColegauCymru Manifesto for the next Welsh Government
Further Success: Policy Recommendations for the next Welsh Government in Post-16 Education and Lifelong Learning for Wales
March 2021
