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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Employment pledge 'may be missed' | Employment pledge 'may be missed' |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| A pledge to get 80% of adults of working age in Wales into employment is unlikely to be met, an assembly government minister has admitted. | A pledge to get 80% of adults of working age in Wales into employment is unlikely to be met, an assembly government minister has admitted. |
| Schemes to put more people in work will meet only half the shortfall as the employment rate stands at 69.7%, said education minister Jane Hutt. | Schemes to put more people in work will meet only half the shortfall as the employment rate stands at 69.7%, said education minister Jane Hutt. |
| The assembly government said it was drawing up a new employment strategy. | The assembly government said it was drawing up a new employment strategy. |
| But opposition politicians have said setting such a high target was "unrealistic". | But opposition politicians have said setting such a high target was "unrealistic". |
| Education Minister Jane Hutt presented a paper to the assembly government's cabinet setting out the need for a strategy with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). | Education Minister Jane Hutt presented a paper to the assembly government's cabinet setting out the need for a strategy with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). |
| Ms Hutt said that only half the increase in employment needed could be delivered under current programmes - and even that may be optimistic. | Ms Hutt said that only half the increase in employment needed could be delivered under current programmes - and even that may be optimistic. |
| Labour market strategy | Labour market strategy |
| She said her comments related to long-term strategies and not the short-term measures taken to alleviate the recession. | She said her comments related to long-term strategies and not the short-term measures taken to alleviate the recession. |
| The Labour-Plaid Cymru coalition assembly government has admitted its pledge of 80% employment was not on course to be met. | The Labour-Plaid Cymru coalition assembly government has admitted its pledge of 80% employment was not on course to be met. |
| An assembly government spokesman said it had made significant improvements in the Welsh labour market and was working with the DWP and Job Centre Plus in the development of a labour market strategy for Wales. | An assembly government spokesman said it had made significant improvements in the Welsh labour market and was working with the DWP and Job Centre Plus in the development of a labour market strategy for Wales. |
| Conservative spokesman on industry Alun Cairns AM told Radio Wales the papers were a "stark admission of government failure" not only for the Labour-Plaid Cymru coalition but over the last 10 years, yet there was no change in policy. | |
| He said: "These papers clearly show they cannot blame the recession alone for failing to achieve their 80% target themselves. | |
| "It's an abject failure to those 37,000 people who have lost their job in the last 12 months and the quarter of the workforce who really should be in work and they're not." | |
| Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jenny Randerson AM accused the assembly government of being slow to react to a problem which existed before the One Wales coalition agreement drawn up by Labour and Plaid Cymru. | Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jenny Randerson AM accused the assembly government of being slow to react to a problem which existed before the One Wales coalition agreement drawn up by Labour and Plaid Cymru. |
| She welcomed the co-ordination proposals but added "it doesn't mean that we have to march entirely to the UK government's tune". | She welcomed the co-ordination proposals but added "it doesn't mean that we have to march entirely to the UK government's tune". |
| The assembly government has received plaudits from many quarters for its response to the recession including training scheme for companies in danger of making redundancies. | The assembly government has received plaudits from many quarters for its response to the recession including training scheme for companies in danger of making redundancies. |
| Also recent unemployment figures show Wales is bucking the UK trend. | Also recent unemployment figures show Wales is bucking the UK trend. |
| 'Employers' needs' | 'Employers' needs' |
| However, an independent report commissioned by the Wales Employment and Skills Board, which advises the assembly government, concluded that many employers in Wales were confused about the various schemes to put unemployed people back in work. | However, an independent report commissioned by the Wales Employment and Skills Board, which advises the assembly government, concluded that many employers in Wales were confused about the various schemes to put unemployed people back in work. |
| In her paper to cabinet, Ms Hutt responded by saying the assembly government strategy was built around catering to employers' needs. | In her paper to cabinet, Ms Hutt responded by saying the assembly government strategy was built around catering to employers' needs. |
| "Our policies for skills are essentially demand-led, that is public services need to respond to the needs of employers and individuals," she said. | "Our policies for skills are essentially demand-led, that is public services need to respond to the needs of employers and individuals," she said. |