A programme introduced by the Welsh Government to improve the South Wales Valleys has been criticised for not helping those in need of it most.
‘Our Valleys, Our Future’ was unveiled by the Welsh Government a year ago, with the aim of creating 7,000 new jobs, however the Bevan Foundation has said it doesn’t go far enough, especially in the Heads of the Valleys.
Dr Victoria Winckler, Director of the Bevan Foundation, told the Caerphilly Observer: “We welcome the principle of the taskforce, however our concern is that it doesn’t have enough scale to tackle the larger issues.
“The areas with the real challenges are in the north of the Valleys, so new jobs in Nantgarw don’t really help people in Rhymney.”
“Rhymney and places across the Heads of the Valleys need the most help because they are the furthest away from Cardiff and it isn’t feasible to pay nearly £10 a day to commute. There needs to be better quality jobs and education within these communities.”
The Bevan Foundation released a set of proposals in June 2016 called ‘Taking the Valleys Forward’. The proposals included locating a minimum of 1,000 new public sector jobs in the Heads of the Valleys area and the creation of ‘one-stop job shops’ which would bring together existing provision from the Department for Work and Pensions, Welsh Government, Careers Wales and local authorities into a single service.
Dr Winckler added: “Our suggestions go much further by introducing an enterprise zone to the Heads of the Valleys, addressing social care, education and energy, and focusing on the everyday economy.”
Dawn Bowden, Assembly Member for Merthyr and Rhymney, believes there has been progress on the Valleys Action Plan – outlined by a recent report.
She said: “This progress report does highlight some of the investment being delivered in areas like Rhymney, for example the new Ysgol Idris Davies provides fantastic facilities for our children.
“However I am very clear that more must be done to deliver investment to the upper Rhymney valley. That is why the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Transport Ken Skates will join me with local councillors in Rhymney on Thursday, 12 July, to hear first-hand about the importance of Welsh Government investment in these communities”.
“The investment that is to be made in local rail services is very welcome but the idea behind the ‘Jobs Closer to Home’ plan is to invest in jobs in our communities, not just in better trains to travel to jobs elsewhere in the region. I continue to press the case for Rhymney.”
Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services Alun Davies, who chairs the taskforce, said: “In the past 12 months, more than 1,000 economically inactive people living in Valleys taskforce areas have started work through Welsh Government led employment programmes.
“Nearly 1,000 people and small businesses have been helped through advice and business support; and an additional 100 new enterprises have been created within the Valleys taskforce area.”
The Circuit of Wales would have created many thousands of jobs and also brought many thousands of visitors into the area to spend their money, sadly the WAG didn’t have the back bone to support the project.
It would have done in the short term but long term it would have been another failed venture.
We need well paid jobs together with the relevant on the job training so that no one is excluded from opportunities
I agree, the way out of poverty is skills. There needs to be thousands of jobs created, I can’t see the current political system delivering this. You are right that the important thing is equality of opportunity. For the last forty years the attempt has been made to force people to be equal. That does not work, so long as the opportunity is there the best will take it, regardless of how wealthy, or poor, Daddy is.
The result is that about half of Welsh children go to university, many learn nothing except how to take offence at remarks made by another and are ill equipped to actually do any work.