Sam Rowlands MS for North Wales is urging Welsh Government to make sure people are made more aware of apprenticeship opportunities.
Speaking in the Senedd, Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government questioned Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething on the educational benefits of apprenticeships.
He said:
There is clearly a challenge in recruitment of the workforce and the skills gap in North Wales. At the start of this year, research in The Leader showed that nearly half of all businesses are struggling to recruit new workers, and this continues to be reiterated when meeting employers.
One of the key areas, I believe, we could be looking to focus more on is promoting the educational benefits and skills of apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships can be extremely successful career paths that, importantly, often see more skills progression and job retention than, perhaps, going to university. For North Wales, this is a great opportunity, because it's such a great place to live and to work as well.”
In light of this, Minister, what work are you undertaking with the Minister for Education to ensure our future workforce are made aware of the fantastic benefits of apprenticeships that can lead to well-paid, long careers and, ultimately, help in addressing the future skills gap that we are facing?
The Minister said:
There is a deliberate and purposeful conversation we're having about all routes for the future—further education, apprenticeships, other skills, and not just the university route—to not just a rewarding career in terms of the people you'll meet, but in terms of the financial rewards that are on offer as well.
Mr Rowlands added:
I have always been an enthusiastic supporter of apprenticeships as they are an excellent way of learning and I would like to see more being done to encourage school leavers to look at this alternative route for a career. I am certainly encouraged to hear what the Minister had to say.
Sam Rowlands AS yn galw ar i fwy gael ei wneud i hyrwyddo manteision addysgol prentisiaethau yn y Gogledd
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr AS dros Ogledd Cymru, yn gofyn i Lywodraeth Cymru sicrhau bod pobl yn dod yn ymwybodol o gyfleoedd prentisiaeth.
Yn siarad yn y Senedd, holodd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol yr Wrthblaid gwestiwn i Vaughan Gething, Gweinidog yr Economi, ynghylch manteision addysgol prentisiaeth.
Meddai:
Mae recriwtio’r gweithlu a’r blwch sgiliau yn y Gogledd yn amlwg yn her . Ar ddechrau’r flwyddyn, dangosodd ymchwil yn The Leader bod bron i hanner y busnesau yn cael anhawster recriwtio gweithwyr newydd, ac mae hyn yn dal i gael ei grybwyll wrth gyfarfod cyflogwyr.
Un o’r meysydd allweddol, yn fy marn i, y gallwn ni geisio rhoi mwy o sylw iddo yw hyrwyddo manteision addysgol a sgiliau prentisiaethau.
Gall prentisiaethau fod yn llwybrau gyrfa llwyddiannus dros ben, a dylid nodi, gallant weld mwy o ddatblygiad o ran sgiliau a chadw swyddi na mynd i’r brifysgol efallai. O ran y Gogledd, dyma gyfle gwych, gan ei fod yn lle mor braf i fyw a gweithio ynddo hefyd.”
O ystyried hyn, Weinidog, pa waith rydych chi’n ei wneud gyda’r Gweinidog Addysg i sicrhau bod gweithlu’r dyfodol yn ymwybodol o fanteision rhagorol prentisiaethau a all arwain at yrfaoedd hir a llewyrchus ac, yn y pen draw, at helpu i fynd i’r afael â’r bwlch sgiliau sy’n ein hwynebu yn y dyfodol?
Meddai’r Gweinidog:
Mae yna sgwrs fwriadol a phwrpasol y mae pawb yn ei chael am bob llwybr tua’r dyfodol - addysg bellach, prentisiaethau, sgiliau eraill, ac nid dim ond y llwybr prifysgol – o ran gyrfa werth chweil mewn perthynas â’r bobl y byddwch yn eu cyfarfod, ond hefyd o ran y gwobrau ariannol.
Ychwanegodd Mr Rowlands:
Rydw i wastad wedi bod yn gefnogwr brwd i brentisiaethau gan eu bod yn ffordd ragorol o ddysgu a hoffwn weld mwy yn cael ei wneud i annog pobl ifanc sy’n gadael yr ysgol i ystyried y llwybr gyrfa hwn. Mae’n sicr yn braf iawn clywed yr hyn a oedd gan y Gweinidog i’w ddweud.
