PEOPLE left out of work as a result of the coronavirus crisis will be offered a pathway back into work, backed by a multi-million pound support scheme
Wales's economy minister Ken Skates has announced a £40mn support package to offer people over the age of 16 in Wales advice, training and opportunities to get back into work.
Speaking at the Welsh Government's daily coronavirus press briefing, Mr Skates said the support would be in addition to any UK Government scheme.
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"We do not expect the full impact on employment to be felt until wage support schemes are ended in the autumn, but in Wales we are preparing now, so we can act decisively in the coming months to support people facing redundancy back into jobs and training as soon as possible," he said.
"We will make sure that everybody over 16 in Wales gets the offer of support and advice to find work, to pursue self-employment, or to find a place in education or training.
"Over and above existing skills and support, we are preparing to use an additional £40m from our economic resilience fund to deliver this commitment."
Mr Skates also said support will be available to employers to help recruit people who are most likely to be adversely affected by the pandemic - including young people, people with disabilities, and people from BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) communities.
The minister said the Welsh Government had already provided £1.4 billion to businesses, and the remaining money in the economic resilience fund would be spent "strategically" to support businesses that provide "good jobs to people that face severe difficulty because of the coronavirus."
"We will also spend an additional £40m over and above what we spend in terms of employment support and skills to ensure that people who face unemployment, or who become unemployed, can get the skills, advice and training, and have that pathway back into employment so that by 2021, they will be back in a good job," he said.
Mr Skates also addressed questions on the tourism sector, and whether there was a date where the sector could re-open.
"We want to ensure the tourism sector can re-open as soon as possible, but it must re-open safely," he said. "We are easing restrictions in line with our falling 'R' (rate of infection) number and the reason that is falling is because of our approach to date.
"We will go on acting cautiously, but we do recognise the huge contribution the tourism sector makes to our economy.
"What we won't do is select arbitrary dates that we are unsure as to whether we can commit to them. We've seen how that causes confusion. We've seen how that can lead to U-turns. We do not wish to make annoucements one day that we have to revisit the following day.
"You only get one shot at re-opening. You cannot put your workers back into furlough, therefore it is absolutely right that we re-open parts of the economy that are so vital to the Welsh economy in a way that is managed, is safe and is cautious."
He did add however, that the "prospects of having a 2020 tourism season are looking much better."
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