50,000 new jobs created in Wales, thanks to EU
50,000 o swyddi newydd wedi'u creu yng Nghymru, diolch i'r UE
Jeremy Miles is celebrating the success of more than a decade of EU funding in Wales, as well as looking ahead to potential future regional investment, as latest figures show almost 50,000 jobs have been created in Wales since the programme began.
Welsh Government News
Thursday 28 November
50,000 new jobs created in Wales, thanks to EU
Jeremy Miles is celebrating the success of more than a decade of EU funding in Wales, as well as looking ahead to potential future regional investment, as latest figures show almost 50,000 jobs have been created in Wales since the programme began.
Mr Miles, the Counsel General and Brexit Minister, will be speaking at the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) conference in Cardiff, which will be attended by leaders from Welsh business and public services, as well as representatives from the European Commission, and the OECD. The event is held each year to mark the progress and achievements of the EU Structural Funds programmes in Wales.
Since 2007, EU funded programmes in Wales have created;
• over 48,700 new jobs,
• 13,420 new businesses,
• and supported over 26,800 businesses.
The Counsel General and Brexit Minister said, “Thanks to the European Commission’s continued commitment to excellent working relations with Wales, and some invaluable local knowledge, we’ve been able to make significant improvements to the lives of people all over the country.
“In every part of Wales we have supported thousands of people to gain new skills and removed barriers to work, while creating highly-desirable new jobs and supporting businesses through difficult times - lifting the confidence of communities all over the country.
“We’ve now invested nearly all of the £2 billion allocation, driving a total investment of over £3.5 billion, and although we are approaching the end of this funding cycle, Wales will continue to benefit substantially from EU funded programmes up until 2021.
“While the country continues to go through a period of instability and uncertainty, it is reassuring to know that opportunities remain to reach out and improve the lives of people here.
“Clearly, the work we are undertaking in Wales to prepare for a new relationship with the EU is dependent on our calls for replacement funding to be met, but we simply cannot wait if we want to develop successor arrangements in genuine partnership with our friends and partners here in Wales.
“We will continue to work closely with them and directly with communities across Wales to put in place successor arrangements and build on the successes that are so evident for us all to see.”
Ends
Notes to editors
Ends
Notes to editors
Further examples of the benefit of EU-funded programmes include:
• Skills and qualifications - EU-funded Community Employability Programmes - accessed by nearly 35,000 people in Wales and have helped nearly 12,000 people into employment. Since 2007 EU-funded projects have helped people achieve 314,000 new qualifications, and supported 90,000 people into employment.
• Apprenticeships and traineeships - in the 2014-2020 programme, EU funding created 116,000 apprenticeships and 32,000 traineeships with employers across Wales, with a further 70,000 and 20,000 by 2023.
• Research and innovation - major university expansions, e.g. Swansea University’s Bay Campus, Aberystwyth University’s Innovation and Enterprise Campus and Cardiff University’s Centre For AI Robotics and Human Machine Systems. major investment in R&D programmes for Welsh businesses in sectors including: life sciences, energy, emerging technologies, health and advanced manufacturing.
• Tackling the climate emergency – over £100 million to support renewable energy and energy efficiency. Investment in Marine Energy research and development, maximising Wales’ wave and tidal resources, encouraging supply chain diversity, resilience and clustering.