English: I'd like to thank everyone involved in tabling this important debate today. Our further education colleges are an essential link in the education chain and it is vital that we ensure that they're properly funded and adequately resourced. I've had the pleasure to work closely with Gower college in my region, which is a large further education college with over 4,500 full-time and 10,000 part-time learners from across the region. The atmosphere in Gower college is second to none, and pupils are encouraged to be the very best they can be. Some pupils have autism, and the lecturers work extremely hard to give pupils the necessary support they need according to their needs. They have achieved amazing things. The college boasts the largest A-level cohort in Wales, with over 1,500 students studying a range of almost 50 different A-level subjects. Gower college, like all further education colleges, play a vital role in educating our young people and providing lifelong learning opportunities for people of all ages. It is, therefore, concerning that funding cuts are threatening this essential role. Our FE colleges are facing increasing demand from Government, and yet have continued to have their budgets slashed. The FE sector provides a service just as valuable as that provided by our schools, yet unlike schools, their budgets aren't protected, and it's the staff who have had to bear the brunt of those cuts. College lecturers are left struggling after years of poor pay increases. FE lecturers play as valuable a role as teachers yet are not being treated the same. Many lecturers have reported being unable to pay their rent or forced to take on second jobs just to make ends meet. Staff at one college regularly reported skipping meals because they couldn't afford it. It is little wonder that FE staff have voted to go on strike. This puts the colleges in an impossible situation. Their funding has been cut drastically in recent years: an overall cut of 6 per cent in 2015-16, which also saw part-time funding cut in half. In the past seven years, FE sector funding has increased by virtually nothing, yet their costs, which include pay awards, have increased by over 12.5 per cent. Colleges' contributions to pensions is set to rise by around 40 per cent next year. It is, therefore, essential that the Welsh Government, at the very least, agrees to ColegauCymru's demand for an immediate increase of 3.5 per cent for the FE sector. I welcome the Minister's statement yesterday, which announced that funding will be made available to fund a pay award commensurate with teachers. However, as always, we wait for the detail. I look forward to seeing college lecturers and staff receiving a 3.5 per cent pay rise, but given the Minister's comments about improved methodology for FE funding, I wait to see the detail as the Minister didn't indicate increased funding. Colleges such as Gower college are invaluable and we cannot afford to lose them. It's time to reverse the cuts and ensure that colleges and those who staff them are properly funded and fairly treated. I urge Members to support this motion today. Thank you.
Welsh: Hoffwn ddiolch i bawb sydd wedi ymwneud â chyflwyno'r ddadl bwysig hon heddiw. Mae ein colegau addysg bellach yn ddolen hanfodol yn y gadwyn addysg ac mae'n hanfodol ein bod yn sicrhau eu bod yn cael eu hariannu'n ddigonol ac yn cael adnoddau digonol. Cefais y pleser o weithio'n agos gyda choleg Gŵyr yn fy rhanbarth i, coleg addysg bellach mawr gyda dros 4,500 o ddysgwyr amser llawn a 10,000 o dysgwyr rhan-amser o bob rhan o'r rhanbarth. Mae'r awyrgylch yng ngholeg Gŵyr yn well na'r un, ac anogir y disgyblion i fod y gorau y gallant fod. Mae rhai disgyblion ag awtistiaeth, ac mae'r darlithwyr yn gweithio'n galed iawn i roi'r gefnogaeth y maent ei hangen i ddisgyblion yn ôl eu hanghenion. Maent wedi cyflawni pethau anhygoel. Mae'r coleg yn falch o'r ffaith mai yno y ceir y garfan fwyaf yng Nghymru o bobl ifanc sy'n gwneud Safon Uwch gyda dros 1,500 o fyfyrwyr yn astudio amrywiaeth o bron i 50 o bynciau Safon Uwch gwahanol. Mae coleg Gŵyr, fel pob coleg addysg bellach, yn chwarae rhan hollbwysig yn addysgu ein pobl ifanc a darparu cyfleoedd dysgu gydol oes ar gyfer pobl o bob oed. Felly, mae'n destun pryder fod toriadau cyllid yn bygwth y rôl hanfodol hon. Mae ein colegau addysg bellach yn wynebu galw cynyddol gan y Llywodraeth, ac eto maent wedi parhau i weld toriadau i'w cyllidebau. Mae'r sector addysg bellach yn darparu gwasanaeth yr un mor werthfawr â'r hyn a ddarperir gan ein hysgolion, ac eto yn wahanol i ysgolion, nid yw eu cyllidebau'n cael eu diogelu, a'r staff sydd wedi gorfod ysgwyddo baich y toriadau hynny. Mae darlithwyr coleg yn ei chael hi'n anodd wedi blynyddoedd o godiadau cyflog gwael. Mae darlithwyr addysg bellach yn chwarae rhan yr un mor werthfawr ag athrawon ac eto nid ydynt yn cael eu trin yr un fath. Mae llawer o ddarlithwyr wedi dweud eu bod yn methu talu eu rhent neu'n cael eu gorfodi i wneud ail swyddi er mwyn cael deupen llinyn ynghyd. Nododd staff mewn un coleg eu bod yn mynd heb brydau bwyd yn rheolaidd oherwydd na allent eu fforddio. Nid yw'n syndod fod staff addysg bellach wedi pleidleisio i fynd ar streic. Mae hyn yn rhoi'r colegau mewn sefyllfa amhosibl. Mae eu cyllid wedi'i dorri'n sylweddol yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf: toriad cyffredinol o 6 y cant yn 2015-16, a thorrwyd cyllid rhan-amser yn ei hanner yn y cyfnod hwnnw hefyd. Yn y saith mlynedd diwethaf, nid yw cyllid i'r sector addysg bellach wedi cynyddu y nesaf peth i ddim, ond mae eu costau, sy'n cynnwys dyfarniadau cyflog, wedi cynyddu dros 12.5 y cant. Mae cyfraniadau pensiwn colegau yn mynd i godi tua 40 y cant y flwyddyn nesaf. Felly, mae'n hanfodol fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cytuno fan lleiaf i alwad ColegauCymru am gynnydd ar unwaith o 3.5 y cant ar gyfer y sector addysg bellach. Rwy'n croesawu datganiad y Gweinidog ddoe, a gyhoeddodd y bydd arian yn cael ei ryddhau i ariannu dyfarniad cyflog sy'n gymesur â'r hyn a gaiff athrawon. Fodd bynnag, fel bob amser, rydym yn aros i weld y manylion. Edrychaf ymlaen at weld darlithwyr a staff colegau'n cael codiad cyflog o 3.5 y cant, ond o ystyried sylwadau'r Gweinidog am fethodoleg well ar gyfer ariannu addysg bellach, rwy'n aros i weld y manylion gan na ddynododd y Gweinidog unrhyw gynnydd yn y cyllid. Mae colegau megis coleg Gŵyr yn amhrisiadwy ac ni allwn fforddio eu colli. Mae'n bryd gwrthdroi'r toriadau a sicrhau bod colegau a'r rhai sy'n eu staffio'n cael eu hariannu'n briodol a'u trin yn deg. Rwy'n annog yr Aelodau i gefnogi'r cynnig hwn heddiw. Diolch i chi.