English: Despite these financial constraints, the rising demand for further education and lifelong learning opportunities has been noticeable, as it should be. It's part of the Welsh Government's strategy to upskill our economy, and to do so, they indicate to us, to equip our citizens with the skills they'll need to be successful in a modern economy. Yet, the truth is the funding and vision have not been forthcoming. I mention vision for a very specific reason. It's clear that over recent years there hasn't been the strategic leadership and road map for what the Welsh Government actually wants to achieve. We have soundbites and we have statements, but we are still waiting for something long term and tangible that delivers strategy to embed colleges and further education into the heart of economic planning and policy. At present, this simply is not the case and this is what the sector wants and needs. Sometimes, the only remedy is more money, but on other occasions and in some sectors what is also needed and often not provided is clarity of purpose, clarity of direction, and leadership. In so many areas of public life, the Welsh Government has singularly failed to do this. I think we can sum up our approach to further education in Wales as being stuck in a catch-22 situation. We need the economy to be better and more productive with higher wages and skills. How do we do that? By focusing on lifelong learning and upskilling and high-quality vocational education. How do we get there? The last part is left open, because, as yet, I don't believe the Welsh Government has decided, nor is it clear in its mind what it wants, despite myriad reviews and evidence on which road map is the way forward. So, our motion today aims to reflect the importance that we believe this Parliament and the Government should place on further education. Firstly, there has been a substantial cut to the amount further education receives. Ultimately, the Labour Party is in Government here in Wales, this is a devolved field, and it has to take some form of responsibility for those political decisions it has taken. Of course, money is tight, but there are ways of finding extra money. In 2016, we as a party were the only party to have a five-year budget plan independently assessed by Professor Gerry Holtham, who determined that Plaid Cymru's plan to identify over £600 million of savings per year in the Welsh budget was reasonable. We were able to put forward these plans because we were ambitious about reforming our Government. So, there are always choices to be made. We made a choice with the Welsh Government in recent budget agreements to find extra money for FE. The Government requested that the college sector became less financially reliant on the Welsh Government, and that is something that they were able to achieve, going from a financial reliance of around two thirds from the block grant to just over half. There are decisions and actions that can be taken. The college sector has demonstrated this by becoming more financially efficient, but the flexibility is not being stretched to the limit. The problem is compounded by the complicated funding formula - which now, as Plaid shadow Minister, I'm getting to grips with - and the disparate and myriad pots of money, funding streams and programmes that run through the sector. Some people in the sector have told me that, compared to what is now a far simpler formula for HE, the FE sector is in need of a long-term overhaul. Whilst Government funding has been cut, the FE sector has been asked to deliver a wider range of services and to be more central in delivering on upskilling and productivity. We welcome this, FE colleges are well placed to do this. But, the question remains: how much can be feasibly and effectively delivered when factoring in increased demand and fewer resources? Many of the actions from the Welsh Government's employability plan will fall upon the FE sector. As stated in the plan, 'Achieving the objectives within this Plan will require a co-ordinated and focused effort across the employability network. This requires partnership between Welsh Government, UK GovernmentLocal Authorities, Universities, Further Education colleges' and so on. 'This effort will need to embrace flexibility and innovation whilst retaining a relentless focus on improvement and results.'
Welsh: Er gwaethaf y cyfyngiadau ariannol hyn, mae'r cynnydd yn y galw am addysg bellach a chyfleoedd dysgu gydol oes wedi bod yn amlwg, fel y dylai fod. Mae'n rhan o strategaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i uwchsgilio ein heconomi, ac i wneud hynny, dywedant wrthym, er mwyn rhoi'r sgiliau y byddant eu hangen i'n dinasyddion allu llwyddo mewn economi fodern. Fodd bynnag, y gwir amdani yw nad yw'r cyllid a'r weledigaeth wedi bod yn ddigonol. Soniaf am weledigaeth am reswm penodol iawn. Mae'n amlwg dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf nad oes arweinyddiaeth a map strategol wedi bod ar gael ar gyfer yr hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru am ei gyflawni. Cawn ystrydebau bachog a chawn ddatganiadau, ond rydym yn dal i aros am rywbeth hirdymor a diriaethol sy'n darparu strategaeth i wneud colegau ac addysg bellach yn rhan annatod o gynlluniau a pholisïau economaidd. Ar hyn o bryd, nid yw hyn yn digwydd a dyma sydd ei angen ar y sector. Weithiau, yr unig ateb yw mwy o arian, ond ar adegau eraill ac mewn rhai sectorau, yr hyn sydd hefyd ei angen ac nad yw'n cael ei ddarparu bob amser yw eglurder o ran diben, eglurder o ran cyfeiriad, ac arweinyddiaeth. Mewn sawl agwedd ar fywyd cyhoeddus, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi methu'n lân â gwneud hyn. Credaf y gallwn grynhoi ein hymagwedd tuag at addysg bellach yng Nghymru drwy ddweud ein bod mewn sefyllfa amhosibl. Mae arnom angen i'r economi fod yn well ac yn fwy cynhyrchiol gyda chyflogau uwch a gwell sgiliau. Sut rydym yn gwneud hynny? Drwy ganolbwyntio ar ddysgu gydol oes ac uwchsgilio ac addysg alwedigaethol o ansawdd uchel. Sut mae gwneud hynny? Mae'r rhan olaf yn benagored, oherwydd, hyd yn hyn, ni chredaf fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi penderfynu, ac nid yw'n siŵr beth y mae ei eisiau, er gwaethaf yr adolygiadau dirifedi a'r dystiolaeth ynglŷn â pha fap sydd orau ar gyfer y ffordd ymlaen. Felly, mae ein cynnig heddiw yn ceisio adlewyrchu'r pwysigrwydd y credwn y dylai'r Senedd hon a'r Llywodraeth ei roi i addysg bellach. Yn gyntaf, mae toriad sylweddol wedi bod i'r swm o arian y mae addysg bellach yn ei dderbyn. Yn y pen draw, mae'r Blaid Lafur mewn grym yma yng Nghymru, mae hwn yn faes datganoledig, ac mae'n rhaid iddynt gymryd rhyw fath o gyfrifoldeb am y penderfyniadau gwleidyddol a wnaed ganddynt. Wrth gwrs, mae arian yn brin, ond mae ffyrdd o ddod o hyd i arian ychwanegol. Yn 2016, ni fel plaid oedd yr unig blaid â chynllun cyllideb pum mlynedd wedi'i asesu'n annibynnol gan yr Athro Gerry Holtham, a ddaeth i'r casgliad fod cynllun Plaid Cymru i nodi dros £600 miliwn o arbedion y flwyddyn yng nghyllideb Cymru yn rhesymol. Gallasom gyflwyno'r cynlluniau hyn am ein bod yn uchelgeisiol ynglŷn â diwygio ein Llywodraeth. Felly, mae dewisiadau i'w gwneud bob amser. Gyda Llywodraeth Cymru, mewn cytundebau cyllidebol diweddar, rydym wedi dewis dod o hyd i arian ychwanegol ar gyfer addysg bellach. Gofynnodd y Llywodraeth am i'r sector colegau ddod yn llai dibynnol yn ariannol ar Lywodraeth Cymru, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth y gallasant ei gyflawni, gan fynd o ddibyniaeth ariannol o oddeutu dwy ran o dair o'r grant bloc i ychydig dros hanner. Mae yna benderfyniadau y gellir eu gwneud a chamau gweithredu y gellir eu cymryd. Mae'r sector colegau wedi dangos hyn drwy ddod yn fwy effeithlon yn ariannol, ond nid yw'r hyblygrwydd yn cael ei wthio i'r ymylon. Gwaethygir y broblem gan y fformiwla ariannu gymhleth - ac fel Gweinidog yr wrthblaid ar ran Plaid Cymru, rwy'n dechrau cael crap ar hynny bellach - a'r gwahanol botiau o arian, ffrydiau ariannu a rhaglenni sy'n rhan o'r sector. O gymharu â fformiwla sy'n symlach o lawer bellach ar gyfer addysg uwch, mae rhai pobl yn y sector wedi dweud wrthyf fod angen ailwampio'r sector addysg bellach ar gyfer y tymor hir. Er bod cyllid y Llywodraeth wedi'i dorri, gofynnwyd i'r sector addysg bellach ddarparu amrywiaeth ehangach o wasanaethau ac i fod yn fwy canolog mewn perthynas ag uwchsgilio a chynhyrchiant. Rydym yn croesawu hyn, mae colegau addysg bellach mewn sefyllfa dda i wneud hyn. Ond erys y cwestiwn: faint y gellir ei gyflawni'n ymarferol ac yn effeithiol o ystyried y cynnydd yn y galw a'r ffaith nad oes cymaint o arian ar gael? Bydd llawer o gamau gweithredu cynllun cyflogadwyedd Llywodraeth Cymru yn bethau i'r sector addysg bellach eu gwneud. Fel y nodwyd yn y cynllun, 'Er mwyn cyflawni'r amcanion yn y Cynllun hwn bydd angen ymdrech benodol, wedi'i chydlynu, ledled y rhwydwaith cyflogadwyedd. Er mwyn gwneud hyn bydd yn rhaid wrth bartneriaeth rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru, Llywodraeth y DU Awdurdodau Lleol, Prifysgolion, Colegau Addysg Bellach' ac yn y blaen. 'Bydd angen i'r ymdrech hon gofleidio hyblygrwydd ac arloesi, ac ar yr un pryd gadw'r pwyslais di-ildio ar welliant a chanlyniadau.'