A NEW Welsh Government plan to help more people in Wales find and stay in work is due to be unveiled today.

The new Plan for Employability and Skills sets out the actions Welsh Government ministers will take to deliver the Young Persons Guarantee, support people furthest away from the Labour market to find work – and focus on improving labour market outcomes for disabled people, Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic people, women, and those with low skills.

It also sets out measures to help people stay in work, through raising skills levels and preventing people from not taking up work or falling out of employment because of a health condition.

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said the plan will help pave the way for a fairer, more equitable Wales where nobody is left behind or held back, helping to change people's lives for the better.

The new plan sets out five key areas of action over this government term, which will propel Wales towards meeting the Welsh Government’s longer term milestones.

The five areas include:

  • Delivering a Young Person’s Guarantee - in order to protect a generation from the impacts of lost learning and delayed labour market entry, and to help make Wales a place where more young people feel confident in planning their future.
  • Tackling economic inequality - by shifting the focus of employability programmes to helping those furthest away from the Labour market to find work, and  improving labour market outcomes for disabled people, Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic people, women, and those with low skills. This includes building on the successful community based approach in partnership with Local Authorities.
  • Promoting Fair Work for all - by using the levers available to the Welsh Government to improve the offer for workers, and encouraging employers to make work better, fairer and more secure.
  • More support for people with a long term health conditions to work – better anchoring the health service both as an employer and part of the delivery network to prevent people falling out of work, or getting into employment because of a health condition.
  • Raising skill levels and adaptability of the workforce - by expanding flexible and personal learning opportunities for people in and out of work so they have the chance to improve their skills, find work or retrain throughout their lives.

Launching the new plan, Mr Gething said: “Our new Employability Plan sets out our vision for a fairer and more equal Wales, where we work to ensure nobody is left behind or held back, and with a commitment to changing people's lives for the better.

“Through the plan we want to lift people out of poverty and help everyone - particularly those furthest from the labour market - to navigate and respond to the work related challenges they will face throughout their lives, whether that is through training, retraining, upskilling, changing career or starting a business. It will build on the significant labour market and skills improvement in Wales since publication of the last plan in 2018.

“It will also help us meet the skills required by Welsh businesses by driving workforce diversity, making the most of our talent in Wales, and shaping an economy that works for everyone.

“Let’s be clear, we can’t fully replace the missing millions lost through the fact that the UK Government has not kept its funding promises to Wales following EU Exit, although we have prioritised budgets to smooth the transition and to boost our investment in people and skills.

“We will continue to press the UK government to back our Team Wales’ ambitions to invest in the talent of our people and restore Wales’ lost £1 billion.”