English: I'm really pleased to take part in this debate this afternoon, because I've had a great interest in FE education throughout my time as a Member of the Assembly, and I've raised these issues in the past because it is sometimes the forgotten part of the education sector, but it's hugely important to the Welsh economy. As we've heard, it allows students to acquire vocational skills, fill skill gaps, update their skills and even prepare for a career change, and Members have touched on all those aspects, I think, of what FE provides. In a modern economy, we need a flexible, confident, skilled workforce, and this isn't just because of what might happen because of Brexit; it's the modern world. I was talking recently to a group of students and saying, 'Not only will you change jobs half a dozen times - a dozen times perhaps - you'll probably change careers two or three times.' That's the astonishing thing of what happens, and that's greatly liberating but also, if you're not prepared, very, very challenging. It is, perhaps, the learners who don't feel so prepared whom I want to spend a little time talking about. FEs have played a great role over the years in helping to fill the skill gaps that occur, and we know there's a really troubling attainment gap at GCSE level in English and maths, in particular, and it ends up being bridged, if it is bridged, in the FE sector. I think we should remember the skill that they perform in that task in dealing with students who've often had less than pleasant experiences in formal education, and then find it much more conducive in the atmosphere of an FE college. I think that is something that we really, really need to value. When I give advice to young constituents who have various issues, I ask, 'Are you in employment? Are you in training? What are you looking for?', and I'm always impressed by those who say they've gone back and they're at FE colleges pursuing some qualifications there and are seeking to improve their chances in the labour market and to improve their employment opportunities. FEs also help older people to improve their numeracy and literacy skills. And again, I think we've all helped people, perhaps through our surgery work, with the direct issue, but also you realise that part of their problem relates to fairly basic literacy and numeracy. Again, the FE sector, through their continuing education for adults and evening classes, as we've heard, provide really essential services here that can be greatly liberating. When people, slightly later in life, achieve that level of education that allows them to flourish, I think it's a deeply moving moment. Sometimes, that includes people who are in the workplace. They may not be in highly skilled jobs, but they are in the workplace, and I'm particularly attracted to those programmes that have been developed with FE colleges and trade unions, in fairness, as well, which help employees in the workplace to improve some of the basic skills. Can I just turn to another aspect of the debate? I am concerned about the future funding streams for the sector. We've heard about the budgetary arrangements and the need to move to three-year budgets, so I won't repeat that point. But, you know, since 2007, about £600 million has come into FE colleges through the European funding routes, and I am concerned about what will happen after 2020, because Brexit must not mean that skills training in deprived areas is in any way downgraded. I hope the Minister may have something to say there; I think it's very, very important that we maintain the priority here. Let me finish, then, on the importance of FE. I mean, this was the part of the - . It goes back to 1944, really. The vision was grammar schools, technical schools and then secondary modern. Secondary modern was never really a very robust approach. Technical schools used to work quite well where they were really tried, and in Wales, we had a fairly good record, but it still didn't get that parity of esteem with the academic grammar route, as they called it then. We've heard some really interesting examples about the Netherlands, and I would say Germany as well. I remember attending a conference in Germany and putting the television on, and there was an advert about a town at work, and it was just showing how vital vocational skills were to the everyday running of that town. So, you know, that's what we really need to emphasise. Llyr said he's never used his degree professionally. He didn't tell us what his degree is, but I have two degrees in politics, so I'll leave it up to you whether you think I've used them very well. [Laughter.] But I thought Oscar, when he said that he arrived here without any prior qualifications apart from a degree in politics - well, that probably tells you what he thinks about a degree in politics. [Laughter.] And he didn't tell us whether he acquired his flying lessons via an FE college, which I suspect he didn't, but anyway, this is a sector to celebrate and we need to nurture it.
Welsh: Rwy'n hynod o falch o gymryd rhan yn y ddadl hon y prynhawn yma, gan fy mod wedi bod â diddordeb mawr mewn addysg bellach drwy gydol fy nghyfnod fel Aelod Cynulliad, ac rwyf wedi tynnu sylw at y materion hyn yn y gorffennol gan mai dyma'r rhan o'r sector addysg sydd weithiau'n cael ei hanghofio, ond mae'n hynod o bwysig i economi Cymru. Fel y clywsom, mae'n galluogi myfyrwyr i gaffael sgiliau galwedigaethol, llenwi bylchau sgiliau, diweddaru sgiliau a hyd yn oed i baratoi ar gyfer newid gyrfa, ac rwy'n credu bod yr Aelodau wedi crybwyll yr holl agweddau hynny ar yr hyn y mae addysg bellach yn ei ddarparu. Mewn economi fodern, mae angen gweithlu hyblyg, hyderus a medrus, ac nid yn unig oherwydd yr hyn a allai ddigwydd oherwydd Brexit; dyma'r byd modern. Roeddwn yn siarad yn ddiweddar â grŵp o fyfyrwyr ac yn dweud, 'Fe fyddwch nid yn unig yn newid swydd hanner dwsin o weithiau - mae'n debygol y byddwch yn newid gyrfa ddwy neu dair gwaith.' Dyna beth sy'n rhyfeddol, ac mae hynny'n rhyddhaol iawn, ond hefyd, os nad ydych wedi paratoi, gall fod yn heriol tu hwnt. Carwn dreulio ychydig o amser yn siarad am y dysgwyr nad ydynt, efallai, yn teimlo eu bod mor barod. Mae colegau addysg bellach wedi chwarae rhan fawr dros y blynyddoedd yn helpu i lenwi'r bylchau sgiliau sy'n digwydd, a gwyddom fod bwlch cyrhaeddiad sy'n peri pryder mawr ar lefel TGAU mewn Saesneg a mathemateg yn arbennig, a chaiff ei bontio yn y pen draw, os yw'n cael ei bontio, yn y sector addysg bellach. Rwy'n credu y dylem gofio'r sgil y maent yn ei chyflawni yn y dasg honno wrth ymdrin â myfyrwyr sy'n aml wedi cael profiadau llai na phleserus mewn addysg ffurfiol, ac maent yn teimlo bod awyrgylch coleg addysg bellach yn llawer mwy ffafriol. Credaf fod hynny'n rhywbeth y mae gwir angen i ni ei werthfawrogi. Pan fyddaf yn rhoi cyngor i etholwyr ifanc gyda phroblemau amrywiol, rwy'n gofyn, 'A ydych yn gweithio? A ydych mewn hyfforddiant? Am beth y chwiliwch?', a'r rhai sy'n creu argraff arnaf bob amser yw'r rhai sy'n dweud eu bod wedi mynd yn ôl a'u bod mewn colegau addysg bellach yn mynd ar drywydd cymwysterau yno er mwyn ceisio gwella eu cyfleoedd yn y farchnad lafur ac i wella eu cyfleoedd gwaith. Mae addysg bellach hefyd yn helpu pobl hŷn i wella'u sgiliau rhifedd a llythrennedd. Ac unwaith eto, rwy'n meddwl ein bod i gyd wedi helpu pobl, efallai drwy ein gwaith cymhorthfa, gyda'r broblem uniongyrchol, ond hefyd rydych yn sylweddoli bod rhan o'u problem yn ymwneud â llythrennedd a rhifedd eithaf sylfaenol. Unwaith eto, mae'r sector addysg bellach, drwy eu haddysg barhaus i oedolion a dosbarthiadau nos, fel y clywsom, yn darparu gwasanaethau gwirioneddol hanfodol yma a all fod yn rhyddhaol iawn. Pan fydd pobl, ychydig yn ddiweddarach mewn bywyd, yn cyflawni'r lefel o addysg sy'n eu galluogi i ffynnu, rwy'n credu bod honno'n foment emosiynol dros ben. Weithiau, mae hynny'n cynnwys pobl sydd yn y gweithle. Efallai nad ydynt mewn swyddi medrus iawn, ond maent yn y gweithle, ac rwy'n cael fy nenu'n arbennig at y rhaglenni a ddatblygwyd gyda cholegau addysg bellach, ac undebau llafur hefyd a bod yn deg, sy'n helpu gweithwyr yn y gweithle i wella rhai o'r sgiliau sylfaenol. A gaf fi droi at agwedd arall ar y ddadl? Rwy'n pryderu am y ffrydiau ariannu ar gyfer y sector yn y dyfodol. Clywsom am y trefniadau cyllidebol a'r angen i symud at gyllidebau tair blynedd, felly nid wyf am ailadrodd y pwynt hwnnw. Ond wyddoch chi, ers 2007, mae oddeutu £600 miliwn wedi dod i golegau addysg bellach drwy lwybrau cyllid Ewropeaidd, ac rwy'n poeni am yr hyn a fydd yn digwydd ar ôl 2020, gan na all Brexit olygu bod hyfforddiant sgiliau mewn ardaloedd difreintiedig yn cael eu hisraddio mewn unrhyw ffordd. Rwy'n gobeithio bod gan y Gweinidog rywbeth i'w ddweud am hynny; rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig tu hwnt ein bod yn cadw'r flaenoriaeth yma. Gadewch i mi orffen, felly, ar bwysigrwydd addysg bellach. Hynny yw, roedd hyn yn rhan o'r - . Mae'n mynd yn ôl i 1944, mewn gwirionedd. Y weledigaeth oedd ysgolion gramadeg, ysgolion technegol ac ysgolion uwchradd modern. Ni fu ysgolion uwchradd modern erioed yn ddull gwirioneddol gadarn. Roedd ysgolion technegol yn arfer gweithio'n eithaf da lle y gwnaed ymdrech iawn gyda hwy, ac yng Nghymru, roedd gennym hanes eithaf da, ond er hynny ni chawsant eu parchu'n gydradd â'r llwybr gramadeg academaidd, fel y câi ei alw bryd hynny. Rydym wedi clywed am rai enghreifftiau diddorol iawn yn yr Iseldiroedd, a buaswn yn dweud yr Almaen yn ogystal. Rwy'n cofio mynychu cynhadledd yn yr Almaen a gweld hysbyseb ar y teledu am dref yn gweithio, ac roedd yn dangos pa mor hollbwysig oedd sgiliau galwedigaethol i'r gwaith o redeg y dref honno bob dydd. Felly, wyddoch chi, dyna sydd angen i ni ei bwysleisio mewn gwirionedd. Fe ddywedodd Llyr nad yw byth yn defnyddio ei radd yn broffesiynol. Ni ddywedodd wrthym beth yw ei radd, ond mae gennyf dwy radd mewn gwleidyddiaeth, felly gadawaf i chi benderfynu a gredwch fy mod wedi gwneud defnydd da ohonynt. [Chwerthin.] Ond roeddwn yn meddwl, pan ddywedodd Oscar ei fod wedi cyrraedd yma heb unrhyw gymwysterau blaenorol heblaw gradd mewn gwleidyddiaeth - wel, mae'n debyg fod hynny'n dweud wrthych beth yw ei farn ef ynglŷn â gradd mewn gwleidyddiaeth. [Chwerthin.] Ac ni ddywedodd wrthym a gafodd ei wersi hedfan drwy goleg addysg bellach, er fy mod yn amau hynny, ond beth bynnag, mae hwn yn sector i'w ddathlu ac mae angen ei feithrin.