Full employment aim set for Wales

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/7193335.stm

Version 0 of 1.

The Welsh Assembly Government has pledged to improve the workforce with the aim of achieving full employment.

It says its strategy will put more emphasis on helping employers and colleges give workers skills and training they need.

Nearly 30% of people in Wales are currently classed as "economically inactive" but the target is to get that down to less than 20%.

The Confederation of British Industry's David Rosser said it was a "challenge".

The strategy, Skills that Work for Wales, includes draft measures, such as increasing the number of apprenticeships available to young people and addressing the need to reach people with very low skill levels.

Employers will be called on to take more responsibility for the training they provide.

Colleges will also play their part and could face losing funding for courses which don't contribute directly to improving vital skills.

'Shared goals'

John Griffiths, deputy minister for skills, said: "We are investing heavily in the skills and employment agenda and this strategy will help ensure that funding is used to its maximum effect, and that individuals and industry work in close partnership to reach our shared goals."

Mr Rosser supported the strategy but said wider issues affected unemployment.

"There are a lot of factors affecting why people are not actively in employment at the moment," he said.

"Some of them around the economy, some around skills, but others are around the benefits system, care and responsibilities, health issues. It's a huge challenge."

John Graystone, chief executive of Fforwm, which represents further education colleges in Wales, said a lot of colleges already work closely with businesses, which helps training.

But he said funding was key for more colleges to do the same.

"It's often how funding flows," he said. "What colleges respond to is the way they're funded and at the moment there's not strong incentives for them to work in many cases with small businesses."