National Assembly for Wales

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that too many young people in Wales continue to face barriers to accessing secure, well-paid high-quality employment, contributing to outmigration, economic inactivity and inequality of opportunity.

2. Acknowledges the Welsh Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee, which aims to ensure that all young people aged 16 to 24 can access education, training, employment or self-employment, while recognising that outcomes do not always lead to sustained, good-quality work.

3. Recognises that Wales is an attractive place to live, study and work, with many young people choosing to remain and build their futures here, but notes with concern that Wales continues to lose too many young people to opportunities elsewhere due to gaps in job quality and availability.

4. Acknowledges that many young people experience insecure employment, low pay and limited progression, and that reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) remains a key ambition, with further progress required.

5. Recognises that some groups of young people, including those with disabilities or long-term health conditions such as brain tumours, young carers, and those from lower-income backgrounds face additional barriers to accessing opportunities, and that access to good-quality employment should not be determined by a postcode lottery.

6. Recognises the importance of creating good quality jobs characterised by fair pay, security, progression and the opportunity presented by economic transitions, including the move to net zero and investment in growth sectors, to expand opportunities for young people.

7. Notes commitments to create jobs for the future and to expand employment and skills opportunities, and stresses the importance of ensuring these translate into accessible, high-quality jobs for young people across all parts of Wales.

8. Notes UK Government action to expand opportunities for young people, including employment and skills programmes and wider investment such as the Warm Homes Plan with significant potential to create jobs in sectors including construction, retrofit and clean energy.

9. Notes with concern regional inequalities in access to employment, skills provision and transport, particularly affecting young people in rural, coastal and post-industrial communities.

10. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) strengthen the delivery of the Young Person’s Guarantee to ensure that all young people receive meaningful opportunities leading to secure and well paid employment;

b) set out clear ambitions for reducing the number of young people who are NEET, supported by a focus on progression and long-term outcomes;

c) promote fair work and improve job quality across publicly supported employment and skills programmes;

d) align Welsh employment and skills programmes with wider UK initiatives to maximise opportunities and investment in Wales;

e) outline how it will create and support pathways for young people into growth sectors, including green industries, housing retrofit, advanced manufacturing and the care economy;

f) expand access to high-quality apprenticeships and vocational routes linked to long-term careers;

g) ensure that employment, skills and youth support programmes are inclusive and accessible, including tailored support for those facing additional barriers; and

h) take a strong joined-up approach across economic, housing, education and transport policy to ensure that young people can build a future worth staying for in Wales.