The series of articles posted on the Progress site regarding youth unemployment have made for interesting reading. An element missing from the debate so far, however, has been what we are already achieving as a party of government in Wales. This is perhaps too often the case in our internal dialogue about where Labour should go next and I encourage members to look to Wales more, because on youth unemployment and many other issues besides we are showing what Labour means in government. We are showing there is another way.

Whenever and wherever Labour wins elections, meaningful social partnership is a real bedrock for those victories and for the transformational work that happens in government. Keeping unemployment down and aspiration alive are the key aims of any modern social democratic party in tough economic times and achieving this requires two things: a plan from government, and buy-in from business. In Wales, we have both.

The ongoing fight against another ‘lost generation’ was absolutely central to Welsh Labour’s campaign in the 2011 Welsh general election, one in which the party had its best ever showing since devolution. Absolutely central to that success was our message about standing up for Wales, and in particular standing up for the hopes and aspirations of our young people.

Not only did we promise to go a different way on tuition fees by offering to subsidise our students wherever they choose to study in the UK, we also made headline pledges on the skills and employment agenda. In April this year, we will launch the full rollout of the £75m-a-year Jobs Growth Wales programme, which will provide 4,000 young people with meaningful work and training placements. If that has echoes of the Future Jobs Fund, then it is with good reason – as a party in Wales, we committed to filling the void left behind when the Tories and Liberal Democrats broke their promise by axing that scheme. Jobs Growth Wales will build on both the successes and the lessons learned from the Future Jobs Fund and it will give hope – and new skills – to thousands of youngsters the Tories would have abandoned.

In addition to Jobs Growth Wales, we have also reopened our Skills Growth Wales programme with £30m additional funding. This money will support those Welsh businesses with sustainable, and aggressive, growth plans – allowing them to provide new and existing staff with the required level of role-specific skills and leadership development training. The money is opening up new markets for our companies, and allowing better use of modern technology in the workplace. We are also boosting the range of apprentices and completion rates in Wales and our Young Recruits Programme is supporting more businesses to boost high-quality placements. Our decision to retain the EMA for the worst-off students in Wales also underlines our belief that education should be available for all, not just all that can afford it.

All this work is being underpinned by a fundamental Qualifications Review in Wales, and a 20-point action plan to drive up standards in our schools. Supporting business to plug the skills gap in our workforce is vital; supporting communities by finding work and training for our young people is equally essential – but nothing will reap more dividends than getting the basics right in the early years and that remains our priority.

Ed Balls is right to be stepping up his calls for the chancellor to develop a plan for ‘jobs & growth’. In Wales, we are showing what that plan could look like.

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Leighton Andrews AM is minister for education and skills in the Welsh Labour government

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Photo: National Assembly for Wales