P-04-441 : Gwaith i Gymru - Work for Wales

In light of the most recent Welsh youth unemployment figures, Plaid Cymru Youth calls on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to put effective and positive steps in place to ensure a brighter future for this generation of young people.

Specifically, we call on the Welsh Government to (1) create a scheme to support 30,000 apprenticeships and to expand the Young Recruits programme; (2) develop a modern, high-value, in-work training programme to increase young people’s employability; and (3) extend local authorities’ borrowing powers to £350 million so that they can support small and medium enterprises with ’local loans funds’. In addition to these steps, we call on the Welsh Government to do everything in its power to reverse this worrying situation and to do everything it can, in spite of public sector cuts being imposed by the UK Government, to create work for Wales.These are difficult times and Plaid Cymru Youth believes that the cuts that the Westminster coalition government is imposing on us are utterly unreasonable. Those cuts, however, must not stop the Welsh Government from acting now to help the Welsh economy.Youth unemployment is at record levels and worryingly, is worse in Wales than other parts of the United Kingdom; we seem to be bucking the UK trend.There is a real risk that this generation of 16-24 year olds will become a lost generation. They are in danger of being faced with financial hardship for the rest of their lives because of the jobs crisis that they are facing today.Having a quarter of our young people out of work is not a sustainable situation, and it is the start of a dangerous path to economic difficulties for Wales for decades to come.Effective and positive steps must be put in place now to reverse this alarming trend and ensure that we are creating work for Wales.

Petition raised by: Cerith Rhys Jones

Date petition first considered by Committee:  4 December 2012

Number of signatures: 129