James Evans is pressing the Welsh Government to improve skills levels in Mid Wales to help local businesses grow.

The Brecon and Radnorshire MS asked First Minister, Mark Drakeford, at the Senedd what the Government is doing to grow the Mid Wales economy.

He said that the previous weekend, the presentation of the Powys Business Awards had highlighted the breadth of what Powys has to offer.

Mr Evans said: “Small businesses I speak to share challenges around workshops and availability for businesses to start.

“Another issue that they find as well is around skills, and the lack of skills that we have in Mid Wales.

“I'd be interested to know what work the Welsh Government is doing to grow skills in Mid Wales to enable businesses to grow and thrive.”

Mr Drakeford said that steps taken to grow the economy of Mid Wales have contributed to a 41 per cent growth in average weekly earnings for adults in full-time work in the area at a time when wage growth across the UK has stood at only 28 per cent.  

He told Mr Evans: “Powys is full of fantastic businesses and people who invest enormously their own time and resources in making a success of those businesses.

“The Mid Wales growth deal is one of the ways in which skills for the future can be further invested in that part of Wales.

“The work that the growth deal will invest will go alongside that to improve the supply of skills into industry.”