English: As a member of the committee, I was very pleased to take part in this inquiry, and I'll keep my contribution short and focus on a few recommendations. Firstly, recommendation 6, which calls for a competitive hardship fund for apprentices, and also for the extension of concessions such as travel schemes to apprentices too. That, I feel, links in with recommendation 7, which calls for the establishment of a universal grant to cover living costs for all apprentices. I think they cover different aspects of a single challenge, and that is ensuring parity between apprentices and students, between the vocational and the academic. The evidence that we took from witnesses on this was very clear. The Construction Industry Training Board, the south west and mid Wales regional skills partnership and the Federation of Small Businesses all agreed that much more work needed to be done in this area. The FSB noted that support for university students was predicated on equivalency with the living wage, but that that is currently not the case for apprenticeship funding. Clearly, financial hardships are a barrier preventing people from more disadvantaged backgrounds from taking up apprenticeships. So, there is a need to make provision so that economic barriers are not the sole factor dissuading potential applicants. Moreover, there is the need, as others have said, to promote parity of esteem between study in higher education and apprenticeships. Countries like Germany do this so well and if we could have that shift in this country, it would be a wonderful thing. I know that the Welsh Government has accepted both of these recommendations in principle and that work is ongoing. I look forward to future updates from Ministers so we can ensure that our apprentices do get a fair deal and do get parity of esteem. I'd like to finally briefly consider recommendation 3. This sets out our finding that more support should be provided to employers so that they can raise awareness about the benefits of apprenticeships amongst a wider cross-section of young people. I feel personally it's unfortunate that the Welsh Government has rejected this recommendation. I note the range of mechanisms by which they currently make available information on the benefits of apprenticeships and the various engagement devices outlined in the Welsh Government's response to recommendation 14 too. However, from my background in secondary education, I know that far too often our young people are really not fully aware of the range of apprenticeships that are out there, or the benefits that they can bring to their career development. Often, responsibility for conveying this message falls onto teachers. With so many pressures already on the school timetable, it is not always possible for teachers to gain the expertise they need to understand and therefore adequately promote the benefits of modern apprenticeships. Employers who take on apprentices, who may be former apprentices themselves, are surely better placed to champion the opportunities in this career path; to explain the benefits and challenges inherent in choosing a non-university pathway; and also to note the possibilities of success in that area too, just like our colleague Jack Sargeant. So, I would hope that more work could be done in this area. Thank you.
Welsh: Fel aelod o'r pwyllgor, roeddwn yn falch iawn o gymryd rhan yn yr ymchwiliad hwn, ac fe gadwaf fy nghyfraniad yn fyr a chanolbwyntio ar ychydig o argymhellion. Yn gyntaf, argymhelliad 6, sy'n galw am gronfa galedi gystadleuol ar gyfer prentisiaid, a hefyd am ymestyn consesiynau megis cynlluniau teithio i brentisiaid hefyd. Mae hynny, rwy'n teimlo, yn cysylltu ag argymhelliad 7, sy'n galw am sefydlu grant cyffredinol i dalu am gostau byw ar gyfer pob prentis. Credaf eu bod yn ymdrin â gwahanol agweddau ar yr un her, sef sicrhau cydraddoldeb rhwng prentisiaid a myfyrwyr, rhwng y galwedigaethol a'r academaidd. Roedd y dystiolaeth a gawsom gan dystion ar hyn yn glir iawn. Roedd Bwrdd Hyfforddiant y Diwydiant Adeiladu, partneriaeth sgiliau rhanbarthol de-orllewin a chanolbarth Cymru a'r Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach oll yn cytuno bod angen gwneud llawer mwy o waith yn y maes hwn. Nododd y Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach fod cymorth i fyfyrwyr prifysgol yn seiliedig ar sicrhau ei bod yn gyfwerth â'r cyflog byw, ond nid yw hynny'n wir am gyllid ar gyfer prentisiaethau. Yn amlwg, mae caledi ariannol yn rhwystr sy'n atal pobl o gefndiroedd mwy difreintiedig rhag manteisio ar brentisiaethau. Felly, mae angen darparu er mwyn sicrhau nad rhwystrau economaidd yw'r unig ffactor sy'n datgymell ymgeiswyr posibl. Ar ben hynny, fel y dywedodd eraill, mae angen hyrwyddo parch cydradd rhwng astudiaethau addysg uwch a phrentisiaethau. Mae gwledydd fel yr Almaen yn gwneud hyn mor dda a phe gallem gael y newid hwnnw yn y wlad hon, byddai'n beth gwych. Gwn fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn y ddau argymhelliad mewn egwyddor a bod gwaith yn mynd rhagddo. Edrychaf ymlaen at gael y newyddion diweddaraf gan Weinidogion yn y dyfodol fel y gallwn sicrhau bod ein prentisiaid yn cael bargen deg ac yn cael parch cydradd. Hoffwn gloi yn fyr drwy ystyried argymhelliad 3. Mae'n nodi ein canfyddiad y dylid darparu mwy o gymorth i gyflogwyr fel y gallant godi ymwybyddiaeth ynglŷn â manteision prentisiaethau ymysg trawstoriad ehangach o bobl ifanc. Yn bersonol, teimlaf ei bod yn anffodus fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwrthod yr argymhelliad hwn. Nodaf yr amrywiaeth o fecanweithiau y maent ar hyn o bryd yn eu defnyddio i sicrhau bod gwybodaeth ar gael am fanteision prentisiaethau a'r amryw o ddyfeisiau ymgysylltu a amlinellir yn ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i argymhelliad 14 hefyd. Fodd bynnag, o fy nghefndir mewn addysg uwchradd, gwn yn rhy aml o lawer nad yw ein pobl ifanc yn llwyr ymwybodol o'r ystod o brentisiaethau sydd ar gael mewn gwirionedd, neu'r manteision y gallant eu cynnig er mwyn datblygu eu gyrfa. Yn aml, mae'r cyfrifoldeb am gyfleu'r neges hon ar athrawon. Gyda chymaint o bwysau eisoes ar amserlen yr ysgol, nid yw bob amser yn bosibl i athrawon ennill yr arbenigedd sydd ei angen arnynt i ddeall manteision prentisiaethau modern, ac felly i'w hyrwyddo'n ddigonol. Does bosibl nad yw cyflogwyr sy'n cyflogi prentisiaid, a allai fod yn gyn-brentisiaid eu hunain, mewn sefyllfa well i hyrwyddo'r cyfleoedd yn y llwybr gyrfa hwn; i esbonio'r manteision a'r heriau sy'n gynhenid wrth ddewis llwybr nad yw'n arwain at brifysgol; a hefyd i nodi posibiliadau llwyddiant yn y maes hwnnw hefyd, fel ein cyd-Aelod Jack Sargeant. Felly, buaswn yn gobeithio y gellid gwneud mwy o waith yn y maes hwn. Diolch.