English: Then, the link between FEs and employers, again, was made by several Members. David Rowlands, I thought very fair mindedly, started with a tribute to the Welsh Government's vocational programmes, as he put it, and commended what he thought was a lot of activity that had been positive. He did then kind of lapse into his previous speech in the debate that we held earlier, and there were lots of lexicological disputes about a particular word, which I'm not going to mention. But I do think we need to be slightly kinder to each other sometimes. I think tone, context and intent is what drives the usage of words, and I have to say that I have some sympathy with the irritation he felt earlier. Andrew R.T. Davies then talked about FEs being the main route for many young people to develop their skills. We quite properly talk about universities a lot, but for many, many students, FEs are much more significant, and I thought that did rebalance the debate. He talked, of course, about the agricultural sector - this is what we'd expect - but with such force, and he was the only person to really address this in this afternoon's debate. Sadly, only about 1 per cent of apprenticeships are in the agricultural sector at the moment, and that is quite a sobering thought. He mentioned the great capital investment that's gone on at Cardiff and Vale College, and I understand there are other examples. Anyone who goes to the Dumballs Road site - it's just a pure pleasure to see those students surrounded by these outstanding facilities. I recommend the restaurant there, amongst many other things that they have. Janet Finch-Saunders, I thought you had the best image of the day: skills are the Achilles' heel of the Welsh dragon. That image really captivated people and made them think about how important it is that we rectify the current drag we have in too many areas because we're not strengthening skills as much as we should. Because they do drive improvement in economic performance as well as bringing great benefit to people individually as well. You also mentioned that private sector influence is important, and the partnerships that are there so that employers can drive many of the strategic approaches taken to skills development. I think these were very, very important points. I would add, in terms of skills, that is probably the best lever we have. We have a lot of power there, and we expend a lot of money as well, it should be said. We need to do that efficiently and effectively. This is something that I think is sometimes overlooked - just how powerful that lever is to a devolved institution. Kirsty then replied and, I think, agreed with a lot of what we put forward. Of course, this Government is committed to improving skills, as the Minister said, so that Wales can thrive. I don't think anyone doubts that that commitment is a very sincere one and that this is even more important for a post-Brexit economy. And again, I think everyone in this Chamber would agree. If I might be permitted, Deputy Presiding Officer, at this point, a hint of criticism. I did think a certain didactic tone then entered your peroration at this point, as you told us off for having a motion that just referred to what was already embedded in the Welsh Government approach. I then thought, 'Well, this, in a way, is a funny kind of compliment', but then you sort of spoiled it by saying it's impossible to have three-year budgets. The fiscal environment has been very challenging - that is certainly true. We've had big changes in terms of administrations, then a general election, and much of this has led to further challenges. I do politely remind you that it was your party and the Labour Party that prevented us having an earlier general election. If that had happened earlier in the autumn - [ Interruption. ] - then these things may have been a little easier to manage. I do appreciate the point that our budgetary approaches in the UK have not been terribly well fitted to three-year budgets. We need to get better here, so that we're developing indicative budgets and approaches where there is some sort of assurance about the level that will be given. I don't think - at least, I'd sincerely hope that we're not going to be seeing the sort of sudden financial disruption that we had in the financial crisis. So, I don't think we're going to have a sudden change in the UK Government's approach, and they have said that we are now moving beyond the austerity period. Can I finally say, I thought the point you made about the need to look at higher skills was both very well made and added a lot to the debate? Master's degree programmes: there's again a lot of evidence that they're even more important to an economy than the number of PhD completions, because many people who do Master's programmes then want to use them in some entrepreneurial fashion. So, I thought the point you made was a very positive way to finish. I do thank everyone for their contributions this afternoon, and I do urge you to support our motion, unamended.
Welsh: Wedyn, gwnaeth nifer o'r Aelodau y cysylltiad rhwng colegau addysg bellach a chyflogwyr, unwaith eto. Dechreuodd David Rowlands, yn deg iawn yn fy marn i, drwy dalu teyrnged i raglenni galwedigaethol Llywodraeth Cymru, fel y dywedodd, a chanmolodd yr hyn a oedd wedi bod yn llawer o weithgarwch cadarnhaol yn ei farn ef. Yna, dychwelodd at ei araith flaenorol yn y ddadl a gawsom yn gynharach, a chafwyd llawer o anghydfod geiriol ynglŷn ag un gair penodol, nad wyf yn mynd i'w grybwyll. Ond rwy'n credu bod angen inni fod ychydig yn fwy caredig wrth ein gilydd weithiau. Rwy'n meddwl mai cywair, cyd-destun a bwriad yw'r hyn sy'n gyrru'r defnydd o eiriau, ac mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud bod gennyf rywfaint o gydymdeimlad â'r rhwystredigaeth a deimlai yn gynharach. Yna siaradodd Andrew R.T. Davies am golegau addysg bellach fel y prif lwybr i lawer o bobl ifanc ddatblygu eu sgiliau. Rydym yn sôn llawer am brifysgolion, a hynny'n ddigon priodol, ond i lawer o fyfyrwyr, mae colegau addysg bellach yn llawer mwy perthnasol, ac roeddwn yn meddwl bod hynny wedi adfer cydbwysedd y ddadl. Soniodd, wrth gwrs, am y sector amaethyddol - byddem yn disgwyl hynny - ond gyda'r fath rym, ac ef oedd yr unig un i fynd i'r afael â hyn yn y ddadl y prynhawn yma. Yn anffodus, oddeutu 1 y cant yn unig o brentisiaethau sydd yn y sector amaethyddol ar hyn o bryd, ac mae honno'n ystyriaeth ddigon digalon. Soniodd am y buddsoddiad cyfalaf mawr a welwyd yng Ngholeg Caerdydd a'r Fro, a deallaf fod yna enghreifftiau eraill. I unrhyw un sy'n mynd i safle Heol Dumballs - mae'n bleser pur gweld y myfyrwyr yno wedi'u hamgylchynu gan y cyfleusterau rhagorol hyn. Rwy'n argymell y bwyty yno, ymysg llawer o bethau eraill sydd ganddynt. Janet Finch-Saunders, roeddwn yn meddwl mai chi oedd â'r ddelwedd orau heddiw: sgiliau yw'r ddraenen yn ystlys y ddraig Gymreig. Gwnaeth y ddelwedd honno argraff ar bobl a gwneud iddynt feddwl pa mor bwysig yw hi ein bod yn unioni'r llyffethair a welwn ar hyn o bryd mewn gormod o feysydd am nad ydym yn cryfhau sgiliau cymaint ag y dylem. Oherwydd maent yn ysgogi gwelliant mewn perfformiad economaidd yn ogystal â dod â budd mawr i unigolion. Fe sonioch chi hefyd fod dylanwad y sector preifat yn bwysig, a'r partneriaethau sydd yno fel y gall cyflogwyr yrru llawer o'r dulliau strategol o ddatblygu sgiliau. Rwy'n credu bod y rhain yn bwyntiau pwysig iawn. O ran sgiliau, buaswn yn ychwanegu mai dyna'r ysgogiad gorau sydd gennym yn ôl pob tebyg. Mae gennym lawer o bŵer yno, a dylid dweud ein bod yn gwario llawer o arian hefyd. Mae angen inni wneud hynny'n effeithlon ac yn effeithiol. Mae hyn yn rhywbeth y credaf ei fod yn cael ei anghofio weithiau - pa mor bwerus yw'r ysgogiad hwnnw i sefydliad datganoledig. Atebodd Kirsty wedyn, a chytuno â llawer o'r hyn a gyflwynwyd gennym, rwy'n credu. Wrth gwrs, mae'r Llywodraeth wedi ymrwymo i wella sgiliau, fel y dywedodd y Gweinidog, er mwyn i Gymru allu ffynnu. Nid wyf yn credu bod neb yn amau nad yw'r ymrwymiad hwnnw'n un diffuant iawn a bod hyn hyd yn oed yn bwysicach ar gyfer economi ôl-Brexit. Ac unwaith eto, rwy'n credu y byddai pawb yn y Siambr yn cytuno. Gyda'ch caniatâd, Ddirprwy Lywydd, ar y pwynt hwn, awgrym o feirniadaeth. Fe feddyliais fod rhywfaint o naws ddidactig yn eich anerchiad ar y pwynt hwnnw wrth i chi ddweud y drefn wrthym am fod â chynnig a oedd yn cyfeirio at yr hyn a oedd eisoes wedi'i wreiddio yn null Llywodraeth Cymru o weithredu. 'Wel, mae hon yn rhyw fath o ganmoliaeth mewn ffordd', meddyliais, ond wedyn fe wnaethoch chi ryw lun o'i difetha drwy ddweud ei bod yn amhosibl cael cyllidebau tair blynedd. Mae'r amgylchedd ariannol wedi bod yn heriol iawn - mae hynny'n sicr yn wir. Rydym wedi cael newidiadau mawr o ran gweinyddiaethau, ac etholiad cyffredinol wedyn, ac mae llawer o hyn wedi arwain at heriau pellach. Rwy'n eich atgoffa'n gwrtais mai eich plaid chi a'r Blaid Lafur a'n rhwystrodd rhag cael etholiad cyffredinol cynharach. Pe bai hynny wedi digwydd yn gynharach yn yr hydref - [ T orri ar draws. ] - efallai y byddai'r pethau hyn wedi bod ychydig yn haws i'w rheoli. Rwy'n derbyn y pwynt nad yw ein dulliau cyllidebu yn y DU wedi gweddu'n dda iawn i gyllidebau tair blynedd. Mae angen i ni wella yma, fel ein bod yn datblygu cyllidebau dangosol a dulliau gweithredu lle ceir rhyw fath o sicrwydd ynglŷn â'r lefel a fydd yn cael ei rhoi. Nid wyf yn meddwl - o leiaf, rwy'n gobeithio'n fawr na fyddwn yn gweld y math o aflonyddwch ariannol sydyn a gawsom yn ystod yr argyfwng ariannol. Felly, nid wyf yn credu y cawn newid sydyn yn null Llywodraeth y DU o weithredu, ac maent wedi dweud ein bod bellach yn symud tu hwnt i'r cyfnod o gyni ariannol. A gaf fi ddweud yn olaf fy mod yn credu bod y pwynt a wnaethoch am yr angen i edrych ar sgiliau uwch wedi'i wneud yn dda iawn ac wedi ychwanegu llawer at y ddadl? Rhaglenni gradd Meistr: mae llawer o dystiolaeth eto eu bod hyd yn oed yn bwysicach i economi na'r nifer sy'n cwblhau PhD, oherwydd mae llawer o bobl sy'n gwneud rhaglenni Meistr yn awyddus i'w defnyddio wedyn mewn modd entrepreneuraidd. Felly, roeddwn yn meddwl bod y pwynt a wnaethoch yn ffordd gadarnhaol iawn o orffen. Diolch i bawb am eu cyfraniadau y prynhawn yma, ac rwy'n eich annog i gefnogi ein cynnig heb ei ddiwygio.