English: Diolch, Llywydd. Amendment 33 adjusts the Welsh Ministers' power under section 91 of the Bill to fund a limited range of higher education courses so as to enable them to provide resources themselves or to make arrangements with other persons, either individually or jointly, to fund the provision of relevant courses in the same manner as currently provided for under the Learning and Skills Act 2000. Higher education courses that may be funded include those in preparation for professional examinations at higher level, for example courses that are not degrees and lead to qualifications accredited by professional bodies. These could include qualifications relevant to health and social care or industry-specific qualifications that meet a social need or improve employment prospects. This amendment ensures alignment of the Welsh Ministers' power under section 91 with their powers to fund further education and training under section 96 of the Bill. Taken together, these powers will allow the Welsh Government to continue to fund employability interventions in the same manner as at present. This amendment is required as it is anticipated the Welsh Ministers may need to rely on section 91 of the Bill to fund certain courses at levels 4 and 5 of the credit and qualifications framework for Wales within the Welsh Government's employability programmes. Some aspects of these programmes may be funded through arrangements with third parties. Amendments 32 and 34 are consequential to amendment 33. I reject amendments 90 to 95 and strongly recommend Members to do so as well. These amendments seek to limit the Welsh Ministers' powers under sections 96, 99 and 102 of the Bill, which are powers the Welsh Ministers will hold concurrently with the commission. These powers will enable the Welsh Ministers to secure financial resources in respect of further education and training, the undertaking of eligibility tests in relation to their powers under section 96 (1) (d) or (e), and for activities connected to tertiary education. A key purpose of retaining these funding powers for the Welsh Ministers relates to the new employability and skills plan, which confirmed that all Welsh Government-led employability programmes will be delivered directly by the Welsh Government, under a new single operating model from 2023 onwards. Employability programmes vary. For instance, Communities for Work delivers community engagement activities and mentoring services. The one thing most employability programmes have in common is that they are focused on gaining employment and removing barriers to employment. The amendments seek to limit the exercise of the Welsh Ministers' powers to deliver employability arrangements. This approach is impractical and would create difficulties for the exercise of the Welsh Ministers' funding functions and would probably give rise to unintended consequences, which would impact negatively on the people of Wales we are seeking to support through those programmes. The Welsh Government is best placed to directly manage inter-governmental relations on employability programmes and to work with UK Government and others to shape a co-ordinated response in Wales within its current powers. The Welsh Ministers need flexibility in the application of their funding powers relating to further education and training, to eligibility arrangements and the provision of advice, information and guidance relating to employability interventions. Amendments 91 to 95 would remove this flexibility. I should say also that, as drafted, in addition, the amendments would not be futureproofed against changes to the Welsh Government's website domain. Retaining these funding powers will also enable the Welsh Ministers to fund certain interventions and pilots, an example of which includes junior apprenticeships. These are a 14 to 16 intervention that support disengaged learners by allowing early access to vocational learning routes at their local college. This is primarily funded by the schools budget, but does include top-up funding directly from the Welsh Ministers to further education providers. I therefore call on Members to support the amendments tabled in my name and to reject all of the other amendments.
Welsh: Diolch, Llywydd. Mae gwelliant 33 yn addasu pŵer Gweinidogion Cymru o dan adran 91 o'r Bil i ariannu ystod gyfyngedig o gyrsiau addysg uwch er mwyn eu galluogi i ddarparu adnoddau eu hunain neu i wneud trefniadau gyda phersonau eraill, naill ai'n unigol neu ar y cyd, i ariannu'r ddarpariaeth o gyrsiau perthnasol yn yr un modd ag y darperir ar eu cyfer ar hyn o bryd o dan Ddeddf Dysgu a Sgiliau 2000. Mae cyrsiau addysg uwch y gellir eu hariannu yn cynnwys y rhai sy'n paratoi ar gyfer arholiadau proffesiynol ar lefel uwch, er enghraifft cyrsiau nad ydynt yn raddau ac sy'n arwain at gymwysterau a achredir gan gyrff proffesiynol. Gallai'r rhain gynnwys cymwysterau sy'n berthnasol i iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol neu gymwysterau sy'n benodol i'r diwydiant sy'n diwallu angen cymdeithasol neu'n gwella rhagolygon am gyflogaeth. Mae'r gwelliant hwn yn sicrhau bod pŵer Gweinidogion Cymru o dan adran 91 yn cyd-fynd â'u pwerau i ariannu addysg bellach a hyfforddiant o dan adran 96 o'r Bil. Gyda'i gilydd, bydd y pwerau hyn yn caniatáu i Lywodraeth Cymru barhau i ariannu ymyraethau cyflogadwyedd yn yr un modd ag ar hyn o bryd. Mae angen y gwelliant hwn gan y rhagwelir y bydd angen i Weinidogion Cymru ddibynnu ar adran 91 o'r Bil i ariannu cyrsiau penodol ar lefelau 4 a 5 o'r fframwaith credydau a chymwysterau i Gymru o fewn rhaglenni cyflogadwyedd Llywodraeth Cymru. Gall rhai agweddau ar y rhaglenni hyn gael eu hariannu drwy drefniadau gyda thrydydd partïon. Mae gwelliannau 32 a 34 yn ganlyniadol i welliant 33. Gwrthodaf welliannau 90 i 95 ac argymhellaf yn gryf i'r Aelodau wneud hynny hefyd. Mae'r gwelliannau hyn yn ceisio cyfyngu ar bwerau Gweinidogion Cymru o dan adrannau 96, 99 a 102 o'r Bil, sy'n bwerau y bydd Gweinidogion Cymru yn eu dal ar yr un pryd â'r comisiwn. Bydd y pwerau hyn yn galluogi Gweinidogion Cymru i sicrhau adnoddau ariannol mewn cysylltiad ag addysg bellach a hyfforddiant, ymgymryd â phrofion cymhwysedd mewn cysylltiad â'u pwerau o dan adran 96 (1) (d) neu (e), ac ar gyfer gweithgareddau sy'n gysylltiedig ag addysg drydyddol. Un o ddibenion allweddol cadw'r pwerau ariannu hyn i Weinidogion Cymru yw'r cynllun cyflogadwyedd a sgiliau newydd, a gadarnhaodd y bydd yr holl raglenni cyflogadwyedd a arweinir gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn cael eu darparu'n uniongyrchol gan Lywodraeth Cymru, o dan un model gweithredu newydd o 2023 ymlaen. Mae rhaglenni cyflogadwyedd yn amrywio. Er enghraifft, mae Cymunedau am Waith yn darparu gweithgareddau ymgysylltu â'r gymuned a gwasanaethau mentora. Yr un peth sydd gan y rhan fwyaf o raglenni cyflogadwyedd yn gyffredin yw eu bod yn canolbwyntio ar gael gwaith a dileu rhwystrau rhag cyflogaeth. Mae'r diwygiadau'n ceisio cyfyngu ar arfer pwerau Gweinidogion Cymru i ddarparu trefniadau cyflogadwyedd. Mae'r dull hwn yn anymarferol a byddai'n creu anawsterau o ran arfer swyddogaethau ariannu Gweinidogion Cymru ac mae'n debyg y byddai'n arwain at ganlyniadau anfwriadol, a fyddai'n effeithio'n negyddol ar bobl Cymru yr ydym yn ceisio'u cefnogi drwy'r rhaglenni hynny. Llywodraeth Cymru sydd yn y sefyllfa orau i reoli cysylltiadau rhynglywodraethol yn uniongyrchol ar raglenni cyflogadwyedd ac i weithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU ac eraill i lunio ymateb cydgysylltiedig yng Nghymru o fewn ei phwerau presennol. Mae ar Weinidogion Cymru angen hyblygrwydd wrth gymhwyso eu pwerau ariannu mewn cysylltiad ag addysg bellach a hyfforddiant, trefniadau cymhwysedd a darparu cyngor, gwybodaeth a chanllawiau sy'n ymwneud ag ymyraethau cyflogadwyedd. Byddai gwelliannau 91 i 95 yn dileu'r hyblygrwydd hwn. Dylwn ddweud hefyd, fel y'i drafftiwyd, yn ogystal, na fyddai'r gwelliannau'n cael eu diogelu at y dyfodol yn erbyn newidiadau i barth gwefan Llywodraeth Cymru. Bydd cadw'r pwerau ariannu hyn hefyd yn galluogi Gweinidogion Cymru i ariannu ymyraethau a chynlluniau treialu penodol, ac mae enghraifft ohonyn nhw yn cynnwys prentisiaethau iau. Ymyrraeth 14 i 16 yw'r rhain sy'n cefnogi dysgwyr sydd wedi ymddieithrio drwy ganiatáu mynediad cynnar i lwybrau dysgu galwedigaethol yn eu coleg lleol. Ariennir hyn yn bennaf gan y gyllideb ysgolion, ond mae'n cynnwys cyllid atodol yn uniongyrchol gan Weinidogion Cymru i ddarparwyr addysg bellach. Galwaf felly ar Aelodau i gefnogi'r gwelliannau a gyflwynwyd yn fy enw i ac i wrthod yr holl welliannau eraill.