Plaid Cymru candidates accuse Labour of abandoning Welsh workers, pledge workforce development

Plaid Cymru candidates have attacked Labour for abandoning workers in Welsh post-industrial communities, saying that their party will reverse Labour’s jobs decline with their skills, training, and workforce development strategy.

Plaid Cymru candidates criticised the UK Labour Government for ‘abandoning’ post-industrial areas such as Port Talbot, who suffered the loss of over 2,000 jobs at TATA Steel.

The comments were made today (Wednesday 22 of April) ahead of a visit to Whitehead-Ross, a training course provider forced to close their office in the town.

The course provider’s office shut, with 16 staff made redundant, following the withdrawal of the UK Government’s Multiply program which supported adults to develop numeracy skills.

Explaining how ‘this was not as good as it gets for Wales’, the candidates continued by outlining their party’s ‘ambitious’ vision of the future of Wales’ workforce.

The party seeks to ensure that every young person in Wales has access to high-quality opportunities for education, training and employment that both match their aspirations and the needs of Welsh employers.

The Plaid Cymru candidates concluded by highlighting the contrast between Plaid Cymru’s offer on skills compared to Labour, who have failed over 27 years, and Reform that would ‘send people down the mines’.

Plaid Cymru lead candidate in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, Sioned Williams, said: “Labour abandoned steelworkers in Port Talbot, and now they’ve abandoned those very steelworkers yet again by making it even more difficult to upskill and retrain.

“The double-whammy to struggling families in the region will be a devastating blow to those who have lost their livelihoods and were hoping to get back on the career ladder.

“Plaid Cymru knows that this isn’t as good as it gets for Wales. We know that our communities shouldn’t have to deal with blow after blow from a UK Labour party that shows nothing but indifference and disdain towards Wales and Welsh communities.

“Where Labour have utterly failed to support abandoned communities with adequate support to reskill and access training, a Plaid Cymru Government has comprehensive plans in place to ensure everybody has meaningful access to high-quality opportunities for education, training and employment.

“Plaid Cymru is the only party offering new leadership for Wales with real plans to support families, grow the economy, and always stand up for Wales against Westminster’s indifference.”

To address fragmentation in the present skills system and make it easier and more streamlined for people to access the education and training opportunities, Plaid Cymru has pledged to:

• Improve access to careers advice and guidance, and increase awareness of the full range of post-16 options available to learners through both sixth forms and colleges.
• Require local authorities, schools and colleges to better collaborate to ensure that all learners are able to choose the skills pathway that best suits them.
• Embed collaboration between schools, colleges and employers to improve the availability and take-up of vocational qualifications and training opportunities.

Plaid Cymru lead candidate in Afan Ogwr Rhondda, Sera Evans, said: “Labour laughed in Plaid Cymru’s faces when we suggested nationalising the steelworks in Port Talbot yet were happy enough to do so for Scunthorpe.

“And now, the people who were promised support, have been let down yet again. The people of Port Talbot have had enough of the Labour UK Government neglecting Wales time and time again.

“Welsh communities such as Port Talbot deserve so much better. They deserve a government with real plans to support them back into work, they deserve a government that will always stand up for their interests when Westminster ignores them.

“A Plaid Cymru Government will be relentless in fighting for Wales’ communities each and every day.

“Where Labour have failed over 27 years, and Reform’s only plans are to send people back down the mines, Plaid Cymru offers new leadership for Wales with real plans to support our communities.”