Plaid call for targeted support package to tackle social mobility in Neath Port Talbot

County ranked worst in Wales in terms of number of young people not in education, employment or training

Plaid Cymru AM Dai Lloyd has called on the Welsh Government to introduce a targeted support package to assist Neath Port Talbot Council and partners in tackling the issue of social mobility within the county.

A recent report from the Social Mobility Commission has found that Neath Port Talbot is the worst place to grow up if you are poor in Wales, and need to tackle the factors which can help people move up the social ladder at different stages of life.

The Plaid AM will this week (Wednesday) quiz the Cabinet Secretary, Kirsty Williams at the Senedd on the number of young people within the county who are not in education, employment or training. The County is again the worst performing area in Wales, with rates of more than three and a half times those in other counties.

Dai Lloyd stated:

“The report by the Social Mobility Commission makes for sober reading from a Neath Port Talbot perspective. Worst in Wales in terms of the number of NEETs, third from bottom for early years education, third from bottom for pupils in receipt of free school meals, and the worst overall in Wales in terms of social mobility.

“It is clear that the county needs some additional support to try and address the situation, and needs to be looking at how other areas in Wales and beyond are trying to identify and address the obstacles to social mobility.

“Much of the poverty and generational unemployment within some of our communities stem from a total lack of interest from successive British Governments in addressing Wales’ economic position, and we need to do all that we can to give our next generation the best possible start in life.

“It is clear that some Council areas are managing this better than others, and this is why I am calling on the Welsh Government to put in place a specific support package to help Neath Port Talbot and to learn from the work that others are doing in this field.”

Dai Lloyd added:

“Ultimately, we need to see a real step change in terms of British and Welsh Government attempts to tackle poverty and social mobility in Wales.

“The Tory Government in Westminster is disinterested in Wales, and will not offer Wales the economic powers that it needs to really get the economy moving. They have no real interest in rebalancing wealth between the UK nations, yet the Welsh Government meekly allows them to carry on instead of demanding the economic powers that we need to change things for the better. Compare this to Scotland where they have a Government which is prepared to demand powers so that they can tackle economic and social inequality.”