WELSH Labour leader Eluned Morgan has pledged to expand the Welsh Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee, promising broader careers support and training opportunities for teenagers if the party forms the next Welsh Government after the Senedd election.
Speaking at Welsh Labour’s Valleys campaign launch at a college in Merthyr Tydfil, Morgan said the programme would be extended so that younger pupils aged fourteen to sixteen could access vocational options, careers advice and work-experience opportunities alongside traditional academic routes.
The Young Person’s Guarantee, introduced by the Welsh Government in 2021, aims to ensure that everyone aged sixteen to twenty-four in Wales is offered support to enter education, training, an apprenticeship, employment or self-employment. Welsh Labour says nearly 64,000 young people have received help through the scheme since it began.
Under the proposed expansion, younger secondary school pupils would gain earlier access to career guidance and vocational pathways.
Morgan told party supporters the approach recognises that young people succeed in different ways.
She said: “Some people do best in classrooms, while others shine when building, designing, fixing or creating. Our job is to open more doors, not close down creativity.”
The proposal forms part of Welsh Labour’s wider plans ahead of the next Senedd election, which also include a Lifelong Retraining Guarantee aimed at helping adults adapt to changes in the labour market driven by technology and the transition to net-zero industries.
Morgan argued that future workers will need opportunities to retrain during their careers.
“Jobs are changing rapidly, especially because of the transition to net-zero and the rise of AI,” she said. “We need to make sure people can learn new skills and move into new roles when industries change.”
Criticism and wider context
Opposition parties have previously questioned whether the Young Person’s Guarantee has delivered measurable long-term employment outcomes, arguing that headline participation figures do not necessarily translate into sustained jobs or apprenticeships.
Youth organisations have broadly welcomed efforts to expand careers support but have also warned that access to quality work placements and training opportunities can vary across Wales, particularly in rural areas.
Labour ministers say the policy complements wider investment in education, skills and infrastructure in the South Wales Valleys.
Morgan pointed to major transport projects including the completed Heads of the Valleys road upgrade and the electrification and modernisation of the South Wales Metro rail network.
She said such investment would help connect communities with jobs and training opportunities.
The Welsh Labour leader also highlighted recent health spending in the region, including a women’s health hub at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon and the development of a regional diagnostic and surgical centre at Llantrisant Health Park.
On environmental safety, Morgan noted that funding has been allocated to address risks from disused coal tips. The UK Government has committed £25 million this year and £118 million over the next three years, alongside £87 million from the Welsh Government, bringing the total investment to more than £230 million.
A new Disused Tips Authority, which will oversee coal tip safety and remediation work, is expected to be based in Merthyr Tydfil.
Morgan said that, after years of tight public finances, the party believes new funding commitments will allow further investment in public services and skills programmes.
She told supporters: “These communities have always adapted and rebuilt. Our job now is to make sure young people can see a future for themselves in the communities they love.”
