Translate the text from Welsh to English.



 
Bydd gan Aelodau ddiddordeb i wybod y diweddaraf am y Rhaglen Esgyn.

Trechu Tlodi yw un o flaenoriaethau pennaf Llywodraeth Cymru. Cadarnheir hynny yn y Cynllun Gweithredu Trechu Tlodi newydd – Creu Cymunedau Cryf a lansiwyd ar 3 Gorffennaf 2013\.  Mae’r Cynllun Gweithredu’n nodi gweithredoedd ar gyfer pob un o bortffolios Llywodraeth Cymru i gefnogi’r tri amcan sylfaenol o atal tlodi; helpu pobl i gael swyddi a lliniaru effeithiau tlodi.

Mae perthynas gref rhwng aelwydydd di\-waith â thlodi difrifol a pharhaus a chyfraddau uwch o dlodi ymhlith plant.  Mae gan Gymru gyfraddau uwch o aelwydydd di\-waith na’r rhan fwyaf o rannau eraill y DU, gyda rhyw 200,000 o aelwydydd ar hyn o bryd yn ddi\-waith.  Maen nhw wedi’u crynhoi yn arbennig yn y 52 o Glystyrau Cymunedau yn Gyntaf.

Mae’r Cynllun Gweithredu ar gyfer Trechu Tlodi yn cynnwys ymrwymiad gan bob rhan o’r Llywodraeth i gynnig 5,000 o gyfleoedd hyfforddi neu waith erbyn diwedd 2017 i bobl sy’n byw ar aelwydydd di\-waith.

Nid rhaglen ar gyfer pobl sydd heb waith am gyfnod byr yw Esgyn.  Mae’n canolbwyntio, yn hytrach ar y rheini sydd wedi bod allan o waith neu hyfforddiant am fwy na chwe mis ac sy’n wynebu rhwystrau caletach rhag cael gwaith – pobl fel rhieni sengl ifanc, oedolion prin neu heb eu cymwysterau; pobl sy’n ei chael yn anodd cadw swydd a phobl ag anableddau. Mae gwaith ymchwil yn dangos bod pobl o aelwydydd o’r fath yn llawer llai tebygol o gael gwaith.

Mae Esgyn yn rhaglen arbennig sy’n adeiladu ar sylfeini Cymunedau yn Gyntaf ac yn cryfhau timau Clystyrau Cymunedau yn Gyntaf.  Mae Esgyn yn cael ei darparu gan wyth Clwstwr:

Clwstwr Môn – Ynys Môn   
Clwstwr Sir Gâr – Sir Gaerfyrddin   
Clwstwr Gogledd Orllewin Abertawe – Abertawe   
Clwstwr Afan – Castell\-nedd Port Talbot  
Clwstwr Taf – Rhondda Cynon Taf  
Clwstwr Dwyrain Caerdydd – Caerdydd   
Clwstwr Basn Caerffili – Caerffili   
Clystyrau Tredegar a Glynebwy – Blaenau Gwent

Rydym wrthi’n ystyried creu clwstwr arall yn y Gogledd\-ddwyrain.

Bydd gan Glystyrau Esgyn ‘froceriaid gwaith’, y bydd y rhaglen Cymunedau yn Gyntaf yn talu amdanynt, i gael hyd i bobl leol o aelwydydd di\-waith allai elwa o’r rhaglen.  Byddan nhw’n holi pam nad yw’r bobl hynny’n gweithio, er enghraifft oherwydd diffyg cymwysterau neu broblemau iechyd, a gweithio gyda nhw i chwalu’r rhwystrau hynny ac i fanteisio ar gyfleoedd hyfforddi neu waith.

Bydd model y rhaglen Esgyn yn mynd â chyfranogwyr yn eu blaenau mor gyflym â phosibl, gyda chyfleoedd hyfforddi neu waith yn cael eu cynnig ym mhob cam yn ôl y gofyn.  Bydd cymorth dwys yn cael ei gynnig i aelwydydd sydd â rhwystrau ac anghenion mwy difrifol.  Bydd y broceriaid yn cadw mewn cysylltiad â chyfranogwyr ar ôl iddynt ddechrau hyfforddiant neu swydd i sicrhau bod problemau’n cael eu datrys a bod yr hyfforddiant neu’r swydd yn para.

Bydd pecyn o ymyriadau’n cael eu datblygu i gefnogi Clystyrau Esgyn.  Rydym wedi gofyn i bob un o bortffolios Llywodraeth Cymru gyfrannu at hyn trwy nodi cyfleoedd hyfforddi, profiad gwaith a swyddi addas.  Mae’r gwaith hwn yn mynd rhagddo ond rydym eisoes wedi clustnodi cyfleoedd yn y gwasanaeth iechyd a’r sector gofal cymdeithasol yn ogystal â chyfleoedd gwirfoddoli fydd yn arwain at gymwysterau ac efallai, at waith.

Mae lleoliadau ychwanegol yn cael eu darparu gan Twf Swyddi Cymru a’u hariannu gan Cymunedau yn Gyntaf i dargedu Clystyrau ledled Cymru ond gyda phwyslais arbennig ar bobl o aelwydydd di\-waith yn ardaloedd Esgyn.

Mae gwaith yn cael ei wneud hefyd i feithrin cysylltiadau a chefnogaeth i’r Rhaglen, gan gynnwys o rannau eraill y sector cyhoeddus, y sector preifat a’r Trydydd Sector a hefyd gan y DWP i weld a yw’r system les yn milwrio yn erbyn y rhaglen.

Mae’r Rhaglen Esgyn felly’n cyfuno tair prif elfen:

* gwaith ar draws Llywodraeth Cymru a’i phartneriaid i chwilio am gyfleoedd i bobl o aelwydydd di\-waith;
* gwaith yng Nghlystyrau Esgyn, trwy froceriaid a chefnogaeth y timau Cymunedau yn Gyntaf, i chwilio am bobl i gymryd rhan yn y Rhaglen, i weithio’n galed gyda nhw i chwalu’r rhwystrau a’u cysylltu â chyfleoedd addas; a
* gwaith i drechu problemau posibl, er enghraifft gyda rheolau budd\-daliadau.

  
Bydd tîm Esgyn Llywodraeth Cymru’n ddolen gyswllt rhwng yr elfennau hyn.

Mae’r Rhaglen ar waith bellach ar Ynys Môn ac yn Sir Gaerfyrddin, Abertawe, Caerdydd a Blaenau Gwent.  Bydd Caerffili, Castell\-nedd Port Talbot a Rhondda Cynon Taf yn dilyn ymhen ychydig wythnosau.

Megis dechrau y mae Esgyn o hyd, ond rydym eisoes wedi gweld gwaith ardderchog, er enghraifft prosiect profiad gwaith ym Mlaenau Gwent o dan ofal Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub De Cymru.  Rydym yn disgwyl gweld y niferoedd yn cynyddu dros flwyddyn gynta’r rhaglen, cyn iddynt lefelu dros y tair blynedd dilynol.

Rydym am i Esgyn fod yn Rhaglen arloesol a dysgu dros amser beth sy’n gweithio’n dda a beth sy’n llai llwyddiannus.  Y gobaith yw y bydd y profiad hwnnw o waith dwys yn y Clystyrau yn bwydo’r ymdrechion ehangach i leihau nifer yr aelwydydd di\-waith yng Nghymru.

Cyhoeddir y datganiad hwn yn ystod y toriad er mwyn rhoi’r newyddion diweddaraf i’r Cynulliad. Pe bai unrhyw aelod yn dymuno i ni wneud datganiad pellach neu ateb unrhyw gwestiwn ar ôl y toriad byddwn yn hapus iawn i wneud hynny.







Translation:


 
Members will wish to be aware of the following update on the Lift Programme.


Tackling poverty is one of the Welsh Government’s highest priorities, as reflected in the revised Tackling Poverty Action Plan \- Building Resilient Communities launched on 3 July 2013\.  The Action Plan draws together actions from across every Welsh Government portfolio, in support of the three key objectives of preventing poverty; helping people into work; and mitigating the impact of poverty.  


Workless households are strongly linked with severe and persistent poverty and higher rates of child poverty.  Wales has higher rates of workless households than most other parts of the UK, with some 200,000 households currently workless.  There are particular concentrations of workless households in the 52 Communities First (CF) Cluster areas across Wales.


The Tackling Poverty Action Plan includes a cross\-Government commitment to offer 5,000 training or employment opportunities to people living in workless households by the end of the 2017 calendar year.  


The Lift Programme is not intended to work with people who are temporarily out of work. Rather, it will focus on those who have spent more than six months out of work or training and who face greater barriers to becoming employed, such as young single parents; adults with few or no formal qualifications; people with poor employment records and individuals with disabilities.  Research shows that people in households with these characteristics are much less likely to gain employment than others.


Lift is a distinct programme which is building on the existing Communities First infrastructure and adding value to CF Cluster teams.  Lift is being delivered in eight CF Clusters across Wales:


Mon Cluster – Anglesey  

Carmarthenshire Cluster – Carmarthenshire  

Swansea North West Cluster \- Swansea  

Afan Cluster – Neath Port Talbot  

Taf Cluster – Rhondda Cynon Taf  

Cardiff East Cluster – Cardiff  

Caerphilly Basin Cluster – Caerphilly   

Tredegar \& Ebbw Vale Clusters – Blaenau Gwent


We are also considering the possibility of an additional area in North East Wales.


The Lift Cluster areas will all have “employment brokers”, funded through the CF Programme, who will work to identify local people from workless households who could benefit from the Programme. They will establish the reasons why a person may not be in work, such as a lack of qualifications or health issues, and work with that person to overcome those barriers and take up training or employment opportunities.  


The Lift model will allow participants to progress as quickly as possible, with training or employment opportunities offered at every stage as appropriate.  Intensive support for households with more significant barriers and needs will be embedded in the model.  The brokers will also maintain contact with participants after they begin training or employment to ensure issues are resolved and the training or employment is sustained.


The Lift Cluster areas will be supported through the development of a package of interventions.  Each Welsh Government portfolio has been asked to contribute to this by identifying appropriate training, work experience or employment opportunities.  This work is ongoing, but possibilities already identified include opportunities in the health service and social care sector, as well as volunteering opportunities which lead to qualifications and, potentially, employment.


Additional Jobs Growth Wales placements, funded through CF Programme resources, are being targeted at CF Clusters across Wales with a particular focus on people from workless households in the Lift Programme areas.  


Work is also being undertaken to encourage wider engagement in and support for the Programme, including other parts of the public sector, the private sector and the Third Sector, and also with DWP to identify possible constraints imposed on participants through the welfare system.


The Lift Programme therefore combines three main elements:


 


* work across the Welsh Government and with partner organisations to identify opportunities for people from workless households;
* work in the Lift Cluster areas, through the dedicated brokers and supported by the wider CF Teams, to identify Programme participants, work intensively with them to overcome barriers and “match” them with suitable opportunities; and
* work to overcome potential problems, for example with benefits rules.


 


The Welsh Government’s Lift team will act as the interface between these elements


The Programme is now fully operational in Anglesey, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Cardiff and Blaenau Gwent.  We expect Caerphilly, Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taf to follow over the coming weeks.


Lift is still in its early stages, but we have already seen some excellent work, for example a work experience project in Blaenau Gwent run by the South Wales Fire \& Rescue Service.  We expect to see numbers increase over the first year of the Programme, with outputs levelling out over the following three years.  


Lift is intended to be an innovative Programme which will seek to learn over time what works well and what is less successful. The intention is that experience gained from intensive work in the Lift Cluster areas will inform wider efforts to reduce the number of workless households in Wales.  


 


 


 


This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep members informed. Should members wish us to make a further statement or to answer questions on this when the Assembly returns we would be happy to do so.