Calls for better paid jobs in mid Wales raised in the Senedd
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00:00 John Griffiths, what is the Welsh Government doing to create more higher-paid jobs in mid-Wales?
00:05 We are working with regional partners to invest in skills, business support and provide support
00:10 for capital infrastructure projects through the mid-Wales growth deal.
00:14 Our aim is to help realise a shared ambition of delivering better jobs closer to home.
00:18 Thank you, Minister.
00:19 I was grateful for your update in regards to the mid-Wales growth deal earlier this
00:24 week, and I have been an advocate for that growth deal.
00:28 That has been slow coming, but I am pleased that it is now in place and has the support
00:33 of both the Welsh and UK Governments.
00:35 What certainly I believe is that it is not so much that we need more jobs; we need better
00:40 jobs, higher-skilled jobs and better-paid jobs.
00:44 In your letter to me this week in regards to the growth deal, Minister, you mentioned
00:48 that the deal must be seen as a catalyst to secure and leverage additional funding from
00:56 various sources, including the private sector.
00:58 I do fully agree with that.
01:00 Can I ask, Minister, how you are going about that?
01:02 How are you engaging with the private sector to achieve that?
01:05 Carwyn Jones AM: There are a number of examples.
01:08 If I can give you a couple of examples in your own constituency, think about Atherton
01:12 Bikes, one of the best brands, if not the best brand, within the bicycle arena and off
01:25 track.
01:26 Now, they don't just run a business park for that; actually, you've got a multi-storey,
01:29 multi-World Cup-winning family there, and we've helped them with investment to go into
01:33 that.
01:34 These are high-end products and high-skilled products, so all of the jobs that they provide
01:38 are relatively well-paid products.
01:39 Again, the Member will know about the Marrell Group and its purchase of a building in Llanfairdyddyr
01:43 and securing 102 jobs, and the fact that they're investing in R&Dóthe same with Yasser as
01:48 well.
01:49 So, you can see there is a commitment from this Government, partnering with those businesses,
01:53 to make sure that that investment does deliver more jobs and better jobs, better-paid jobs,
01:58 in particular with the R&D at each of those three businesses within the Member's constituency.
02:02 That's a marker of what we are already doing, and what we see more of with the successful
02:06 delivery of the mid-World growth deal.
02:10 Kevin Campbell AM: According to the latest Economic Intelligence Wales quarterly report,
02:17 in quarter 1 of this financial year, 48 per cent of total Development Bank of Wales investments
02:23 were made to firms in south-east Wales, as compared to 29 per cent in mid- and west Wales
02:30 and 23 per cent in north Wales.
02:33 Now, this was linked to the creation of more than 250 jobs in south-east Wales, less than
02:39 150 in mid- and west Wales, and under 100 jobs in north Wales.
02:47 This data is indicative of a long-running trend whereby Development Bank investment
02:52 and related job creation has tended to be concentrated in south-east Wales.
02:58 Minister, can I ask you, therefore, whether, in your view, the Development Bank of Wales
03:02 is doing enough to support small and medium-sized businesses in mid- and west Wales, and what
03:08 more might be done to ensure that businesses in my region are both made aware of and are
03:15 able to access the kinds of support and finance on offer via the bank?
03:21 Carwyn Jones AM: Well, I've just given an example in response to Russell George of the
03:25 Marill Group, who have had support from the Development Bank to secure and further grow
03:30 their business.
03:31 So, there are examples, and I do think there is something about the visibility of what
03:35 the Development Bank of Wales already does and provides.
03:38 I met the board of the Development Bank of Wales at one of their strategy days last week,
03:44 and again, part of my challenge to them was, bearing in mind the relative success of the
03:49 bank since its creation, how do they go further to understand the areas of the economy where
03:54 they can make the biggest difference with the levers they have, and how we do something
03:58 that is both about generating a return on investment, but actually looking at the different
04:02 parts of the country, the different challenges, but also the different opportunities.
04:07 I'm very pleased they're looking at mid Wales, for example, not just in the businesses that
04:10 are already there, but, for example, in some of the opportunities around renewable energy.
04:14 It is one of the actual pillars underpinning the ambition in the mid Wales growth deal.
04:19 So, I think you can see that this is an organisation that understands it has an all Wales remit.
04:25 It's headquartered in north Wales, not here in south Wales.
04:28 It is something that understands there is opportunity that is different in different
04:32 parts of the country, and they're on a side to secure that opportunity, or to make sure
04:36 that different sources of finance can be made available.
04:39 I'll be more than happy to send again to the Member a more detailed breakdown of investments
04:43 and opportunities supported within mid and west Wales by the development bank, because
04:46 I don't think his question quite gives us the whole remit and the whole coverage of
04:51 what DWR are doing to promote economic activity and well-being within mid and west Wales.
04:55 What assessment have you made of economic opportunities for young people in mid and
05:00 west Wales?
05:01 Brynhawn Dow, do you want to come in on my question?
05:03 For young people, making the choice to remain within rural communities is, I believe, about
05:09 ensuring that the rural economy can thrive and prosper, often good work close to home.
05:15 Our economic mission, priorities for a stronger economy, sets out four national priorities,
05:19 one of which is focused upon young people.
05:22 Diolch yn fawr iawn.
05:24 A 2022 survey by Aberystwyth University found that four in 10 young people in rural Wales
05:31 expect to be living outside of Wales in five years' time.
05:36 That's a staggering statistic.
05:39 And at the same time, we know that skills shortages are acting as a brake on investments
05:43 and growth in rural Wales.
05:45 Research from the FSB, for example, found that 80% of small firms are struggling to
05:50 recruit over the last 12 months.
05:54 Taken together, these figures illustrate the mismatch between the aspirations of our rural
05:59 young people and the needs of our local industries and small business in the countryside.
06:06 One of the issues which may help in relation to keeping young people in rural areas is
06:10 transport and in evidence submitted last year to the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee,
06:16 Careers Wales called for improved rural public transportation links and exploring reduced
06:22 fares for young people to facilitate those skills getting to the right places.
06:28 I would like to see free public transport in Wales to be available to all under 25s.
06:35 Do you agree that this could help our young people in rural Wales?
06:39 Diolch yn fawr iawn.
06:41 I think there are two points.
06:42 The first is I'd like to see a free transport offer for young people.
06:47 Our challenge is being able to afford it.
06:49 And so actually that is a budgetary choice for us to make.
06:52 And at the moment, we can't in all good conscience say we want to do that.
06:55 There is a future aspiration for wanting to make bus travel in particular more affordable
07:00 for people across the country.
07:02 The second point I'd make is it's come up in First Minister's questions yesterday, some
07:07 of the challenges around the bus network and our ability and willingness to reintroduce
07:14 regulation for a franchising model that means that different routes are sustained in the
07:19 way that we reward and organise bus travel within Wales.
07:23 And I'm very pleased to say that every member of this Government is committed to re-regulating
07:28 buses because we believe we'll have a more stable network that will protect what we currently
07:33 have, it will be a better use of public money and give us opportunities to grow the bus
07:38 network in the future and to address the point that the Member makes about its affordability
07:43 for people of all ages, but especially the point she makes around young people.
07:46 Thank you.
07:47 [END]
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