James Evans MS invites Jack Sergeant MS to Llandrindod’s Kiernan Structural Steel

James Evans MS has reiterated his support for apprenticeship schemes to mark National Apprenticeship Week for 2025. Video from Senedd.tv

Transcript

00:00statement today, in my own personal perspective, I think that learning a skill as an apprenticeship

00:05holds just as much weight as holding a degree. Sometimes it's not more in my view because it's

00:09an awful lot harder work sometimes doing an apprenticeship. But what I'd like to raise with

00:12you, Minister, is in my constituency there's a business called Keen and Steel in Llandrindod

00:18and they're doing fantastic work of attracting apprentices from rural communities to work for

00:23them to get those skills and then to continue their working life. However, they are experiencing

00:27some difficulty with apprenticeship levy. So, would you welcome coming to visit that business

00:32along with me so we can discuss these problems with them directly so you can also hear that and

00:37take that back to your government colleagues to help inform the government policy on this

00:40important area of business? I thank James Evans for that. I agree learning a skill

00:50and a trade is of particular importance across Wales. I've often said, Presiding Officer,

00:57when I was on the backbenches, we should have more apprentices or those who've served

01:02apprenticeships in positions within the Senedd and including government as well. So, I would

01:09agree with him on the importance and the recognition of apprenticeships alongside the

01:14need for those people who choose the university route. But that's not forgetting we do have

01:21degree apprenticeship programmes as well and we do have other opportunities to explore that route.

01:27The Member points to Keen and Steel in his constituency and the apprenticeship levy.

01:34He will be aware of the work of the UK Government around the new growth in skills levy. The detail

01:42of that is still being worked through but, of course, I'd like to hear the views of Welsh

01:47businesses and Welsh learning providers around that, the thinking around the apprenticeship

01:53levy. I was very pleased to see, Presiding Officer, last year, I think in October, Keen and

02:00Steel's announcement of an expansion within his constituency supported by £140,000 of Welsh

02:08Government money to support that expansion, creating 39 new jobs, including five apprentices

02:16in the space of construction and infrastructure and the steel needed

02:20around that. As I say, Presiding Officer, jobs and green growth is a key priority for this

02:25Government. It's that type of work that will help deliver against that. I'll certainly consider

02:30coming to the Member's constituency to hear directly from the business and apprentices

02:36themselves when my diary allows.