English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I begin my contribution today by thanking both the Welsh Conservatives for bringing this very important debate forward and all the people who have spoken? I think it's been clear from the debate that, actually, we broadly agree the principles, which are that lifelong learning is extremely important to people from all backgrounds and all ages, and access to part-time education at all levels - . Angela has spoken very movingly, for example, of some of the examples in her constituency. Darren referenced the Inspire! awards - it gives me the chance to say that I was there to present the overall learner award, and I think it would be remiss of me - . That's the third time I've presented those awards, and I've genuinely been moved to tears on all three occasions, but the best thing of all about those awards has been watching what the overall winners have done afterwards. So, this time, the overall winner from the first time that I presented it was there and she's gone from a nervous wreck to a confident and self-assured woman, perfectly happy to speak on the stage and present the award to this year's winner. This year's winner was a nervous wreck but was able to see that, in a couple of years' time, she'll clearly be the self-assured person that the winner from the first year that I attend was. So, I think there's no doubt at all - . Hefin and Rhianon also spoke passionately about the transformational effect that this sort of education can have, although, I have to say, I want to have a little word with Hefin about the people he chooses to transform, but that's another point. So, I think we largely agree that it's vital to provide people of all backgrounds and from all communities in Wales with the flexible opportunities they need to improve their skills and strengthen their employment prospects. That's exactly, of course, why we are encouraging part-time study through the funding we provide to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to subsidise the cost of fees. The impact of this funding can be evidenced with the considerably lower fee for part-time courses in Wales when compared to England, for example. We were very pleased as a Government that, in this challenging financial climate, HEFCW has been able to maintain the level of its support for part-time provision. We've also been very clear, though, that we need to prepare for a more sustainable future in this regard, and you've all been kind enough to indicate that there is broad support for the Diamond review across this Chamber. I think that speaks volumes for buy-in in Wales for education as a lifelong pursuit. So, we're looking to build a sustainable, progressive funding model for student support, and, in doing so, we want to make sure that we are bringing help to those who most need it. And we also want to ensure that we enable our universities to keep competing internationally, whilst allowing our students access to that. That's why we commissioned the Diamond review in the first place, and it's why we've given a great deal of thought to the practical implications of implementing the recommendations. I'm sure you all know that the consultation concluded in February. It gave all those with an interest in student support an opportunity to comment on the proposals, which were influenced by the outcomes of the review panel. The Welsh Government will be publishing a report on that consultation, together with confirmation of the higher education student support package for 2018-19, later on this year, in July. As the Cabinet Secretary for Education confirmed in November, we had largely accepted the Diamond review panel's recommendations for an enhanced package of support for students, and this, I want to emphasise, will include parity of support for part-time and postgraduate students, which I think absolutely everybody who contributed to this debate expressed a view as being essential in this space. I just want to emphasise that, when this is introduced, as Rhianon Passmore said rather more passionately than I'm currently managing, this will be a unique package in the UK, of which we're incredibly proud. I believe that that proposed system will allow the greater flexibility into our system that will encourage students from all backgrounds to get on and enter education in this sphere. People also mentioned employability. I've spoken quite often in this Chamber of the need to take a cross-Government approach to addressing the many barriers preventing people from entering and remaining in employment. Skills are obviously a very large part of that, but they are not the only barrier, and I think we do need to acknowledge that. So, we're developing an employability delivery plan for Wales, and I'll be saying more about this in the coming weeks. I'm going to resist the temptation to pre-announce my announcement. But, we'll be bringing together the information we have on existing Welsh Government-funded employability programmes to consider what needs to change to meet the employment, skills and support needs of people who are unemployed, economically inactive - many people in the Chamber during this debate have mentioned the problem of economic inactivity - or those in lower quality jobs who need to be upskilled. I just want to acknowledge Hefin David's contribution here around the employer engagement for this. One of the big things I ask of people in this Chamber is to always be an ambassador for encouraging firms to train. So, although we understand that many firms find it difficult to find the resource - and it is a resource, as David Rees pointed out in an intervention - of releasing their people, because we're able to provide the training, but they do need to release the people. Actually persuading people of the business need to do that in terms of their own resilience, their ability to grow and their ability to continue to meet the challenges in their business environment is very important.
Welsh: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. A gaf fi ddechrau fy nghyfraniad heddiw drwy ddiolch i'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig am gyflwyno'r ddadl bwysig hon a'r holl bobl sydd wedi siarad? Rwy'n credu ei bod yn eglur o'r ddadl ein bod, mewn gwirionedd, yn cytuno'n fras ar yr egwyddorion, sef bod dysgu gydol oes yn eithriadol o bwysig i bobl o bob cefndir ac o bob oed, a bod mynediad at addysg ran-amser ar bob lefel - . Siaradodd Angela yn deimladwy iawn, er enghraifft, am rai o'r enghreifftiau yn ei hetholaeth. Cyfeiriodd Darren at wobrau Ysbrydoli! - mae'n rhoi cyfle i mi ddweud fy mod i yno i gyflwyno'r wobr dysgwr y flwyddyn, ac rwy'n credu y byddai'n esgeulus ohonof - . Dyna'r trydydd tro i mi gyflwyno'r gwobrau hynny, ac o ddifrif, cefais fy nghyffwrdd hyd at ddagrau ar y tri achlysur, ond y peth gorau oll am y gwobrau hynny oedd gwylio beth y mae'r enillwyr wedi'i wneud wedi hynny. Felly, y tro hwn, roedd y prif enillydd o'r tro cyntaf i mi gyflwyno'r gwobrau yno ac mae hi wedi mynd o fod yn fenyw nerfus iawn i fod yn hunanhyderus, ac yn berffaith hapus i siarad ar y llwyfan a chyflwyno'r wobr i'r enillydd eleni. Roedd enillydd eleni yn nerfus iawn ond gallai weld, ymhen blwyddyn neu ddwy, mai hi fydd yr unigolyn hunanhyderus fel yr enillydd o'r flwyddyn gyntaf i mi fynychu'r gwobrau. Felly, rwy'n credu nad oes unrhyw amheuaeth - . Siaradodd Hefin a Rhianon yn angerddol am yr effaith drawsnewidiol y gall addysg o'r fath ei chael, er bod yn rhaid i mi ddweud fy mod am gael gair bach gyda Hefin ynglŷn â'r bobl y mae'n dewis eu trawsnewid, ond mater arall yw hwnnw. Felly, rwy'n meddwl ein bod yn cytuno i raddau helaeth ei bod yn hanfodol inni roi'r cyfleoedd hyblyg sydd eu hangen arnynt i bobl o bob cefndir ac o bob cymuned yng Nghymru i wella eu sgiliau a chryfhau eu rhagolygon cyflogaeth. Wrth gwrs, dyna'n union pam rydym yn annog astudio rhan-amser drwy'r cyllid a ddarparwn i Gyngor Cyllido Addysg Uwch Cymru i roi cymhorthdal tuag at gostau ffioedd. Tystiolaeth o effaith yr arian hwn yw'r ffi gryn dipyn yn is am gyrsiau rhan-amser yng Nghymru o gymharu â Lloegr, er enghraifft. Roeddem yn falch iawn fel Llywodraeth, yn yr hinsawdd ariannol heriol sydd ohoni, fod CCAUC wedi gallu cynnal lefel eu cefnogaeth ar gyfer darpariaeth ran-amser. Rydym hefyd wedi bod yn glir iawn, fodd bynnag, fod angen i ni baratoi ar gyfer dyfodol mwy cynaliadwy yn hyn o beth, ac mae pawb ohonoch wedi bod yn ddigon caredig i ddangos bod cefnogaeth gyffredinol i adolygiad Diamond ar draws y Siambr hon. Credaf fod hynny'n siarad cyfrolau am y gefnogaeth yng Nghymru i addysg fel gweithgaredd gydol oes. Felly, rydym yn bwriadu adeiladu model ariannu cynaliadwy a blaengar ar gyfer cymorth i fyfyrwyr, ac wrth wneud hynny, rydym am wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn rhoi help i'r rhai sydd ei angen fwyaf. Ac rydym hefyd yn awyddus i sicrhau ein bod yn galluogi ein prifysgolion i barhau i gystadlu'n rhyngwladol, gan ganiatáu mynediad i'n myfyrwyr at hynny. Dyna pam ein bod wedi comisiynu adolygiad Diamond yn y lle cyntaf, a pham y rhoesom lawer iawn o ystyriaeth i oblygiadau ymarferol gweithredu'r argymhellion. Rwy'n siŵr eich bod i gyd yn gwybod bod yr ymgynghoriad wedi dod i ben ym mis Chwefror. Rhoddodd gyfle i bawb a oedd â diddordeb mewn cymorth i fyfyriwr wneud sylwadau ar y cynigion, a gafodd eu dylanwadu gan ganlyniadau'r panel adolygu. Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyhoeddi adroddiad ar yr ymgynghoriad, ynghyd â chadarnhad o'r pecyn cymorth i fyfyrwyr addysg uwch ar gyfer 2018-19, yn ddiweddarach eleni, ym mis Gorffennaf. Fel y cadarnhaodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg ym mis Tachwedd, at ei gilydd roeddem wedi derbyn argymhellion panel adolygu Diamond ar gyfer pecyn gwell o gymorth i fyfyrwyr, ac rwyf am bwysleisio y bydd hyn yn cynnwys cymorth cydradd i fyfyrwyr rhan-amser a myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig, y mynegodd pawb a gyfrannodd at y ddadl hon, rwy'n credu, y farn ei fod yn hanfodol yn y gofod hwn. Pan gaiff ei gyflwyno, rwyf am bwysleisio, fel y dywedodd Rhianon Passmore yn fwy angerddol na minnau ar hyn o bryd, y bydd hwn yn becyn unigryw yn y DU, ac rydym yn hynod o falch ohono. Credaf y bydd y system arfaethedig yn caniatáu mwy o hyblygrwydd yn ein system a fydd yn annog myfyrwyr o bob cefndir i fwrw ati a chael addysg o'r fath. Soniodd pobl am gyflogadwyedd hefyd. Rwyf wedi siarad yn eithaf aml yn y Siambr hon am yr angen i fabwysiadu ymagwedd drawslywodraethol tuag at fynd i'r afael â rhwystrau niferus sy'n atal pobl rhag cael gwaith ac aros mewn gwaith. Mae sgiliau'n amlwg yn rhan fawr iawn o hynny, ond nid dyna'r unig rwystr, ac rwy'n meddwl bod angen i ni gydnabod hynny. Felly, rydym yn datblygu cynllun cyflawni cyflogadwyedd ar gyfer Cymru, a byddaf yn dweud rhagor am hyn yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf. Rwy'n mynd i wrthsefyll y demtasiwn i achub y blaen ar fy nghyhoeddiad. Ond byddwn yn dwyn ynghyd y wybodaeth sydd gennym am raglenni cyflogadwyedd presennol a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru i ystyried beth sydd angen ei newid er mwyn diwallu anghenion pobl sy'n ddi-waith, yn economaidd anweithgar, am gyflogaeth, sgiliau a chymorth - mae llawer o bobl yn y Siambr yn ystod y ddadl hon wedi crybwyll problem anweithgarwch economaidd - neu rai mewn swyddi o ansawdd is sydd angen eu huwchsgilio. Hoffwn gydnabod cyfraniad Hefin David yma ynglŷn â'r ymgysylltiad â chyflogwyr ar gyfer hyn. Un o'r pethau mawr rwy'n ei ofyn gan bobl yn y Siambr hon yw iddynt fod yn llysgenhadon bob amser er mwyn annog cwmnïau i hyfforddi. Felly, er ein bod yn deall bod llawer o gwmnïau yn ei chael hi'n anodd dod o hyd i'r adnodd - ac adnodd ydyw, fel y nododd David Rees mewn ymyriad - i ryddhau eu pobl, oherwydd gallwn ddarparu'r hyfforddiant, ond mae angen iddynt ryddhau'r bobl. Mewn gwirionedd mae perswadio pobl ynglŷn â'r angen busnes i wneud hynny o ran eu cadernid eu hunain, eu gallu i dyfu a'u gallu i barhau i ymateb i'r heriau yn eu hamgylchedd busnes yn bwysig iawn.