A WELSH government initiative to get young people into work has “exceeded expectations”, the deputy minister for skills said yesterday.

In a statement about the Jobs Growth Wales programme, Ken Skates AM said it has created and approved 10,594 jobs, with 8,354 young people taking up roles.

As of January 10 this year, in Caerphilly, 734 new positions were created and 672 were taken; in Blaenau Gwent 310 jobs were created and 238 taken; in Torfaen, 245 new positions were created and 249 were taken; in Monmouthshire there were 231 new places and 183 taken; while in Newport, 537 positions were created and 469 taken.

In the private sector, 80 per cent of young people have kept their jobs permanently, started an apprenticeship or stayed in education after completing a six month stint.

Among graduates, only one per cent of young people taking part became unemployed after finishing a six month work placement, and for self-employed people, the young entrepreneurs bursary has helped to create 200 new businesses since it began in 2012.