Written - Genesis Wales Guarantee

I am pleased to acknowledge the excellent achievements of the ESF funded Genesis Wales project, and to be able to announce that the Welsh Assembly Government will underwrite the transitional costs of local authority partners, whilst further funding is sought for a successor project.

In 2004, the Assembly Government developed a single strategic bid, the Genesis Wales project, for a combined total of approximately £12.5m over 3 years under Objectives 1 and 3, for the purpose of increasing the contribution of European Structural Funds to childcare provision. Individual local authority partnerships are delivering the Genesis Wales project across Wales.

The project’s principal aim is to increase economic activity and decrease child poverty in disadvantaged areas, by enabling hard to reach economically inactive parents to access learning, training and work opportunities through the provision of advice, guidance and free childcare, thus increasing access to work and economic activity

The project closes at the end of March 2008, and it is exciting to note that some targets have already been met or significantly exceeded. At the end of December 2007, Genesis had assisted nearly 13,000 beneficiaries, the total target for the project, and had also provided well in excess of 10,000 childcare places, against an overall target of 8,500.

Local authority partners across Wales have delivered their own project plans, tailored to the particular needs of each region. Genesis Newport maintain a database of those wishing to undertake training in the childcare sector, identifying suitable training opportunities as they arise. Genesis Pembrokeshire has provided places for individuals to participate in inclusive play training, designed to give participants the opportunity to reflect on their current knowledge and experiences of disability. Genesis Swansea attended the Evening Post Work Live event in September 2007 to speak to individuals seeking advice and guidance, and to take the opportunity to promote several retail and call centre courses that they have established in partnership with Swansea Business College.

The Assembly Government intend to submit a formal Expression of Interest to the Welsh European Funding Office in order to discuss a successor project to Genesis Wales in the Objective 1 area. We are giving priority to the development of this Expression of Interest and a business plan.

The proposed project will similarly provide a comprehensive package of client centred activity to support the individuals’ employability needs, focusing on ‘hard to reach individuals’, especially women, and specifically addressing the barriers those individuals face when trying to access work and/or training opportunities.

It is intended that a bid will also be made for a project within the Regional Competitiveness areas (formerly Objective 3) once agreement is reached on how funding can be most effectively targeted here.

I am aware of the concern that experienced staff may be lost given any delay in approval of a successor project.

Therefore, in order to mitigate the risk of loss of experienced staff and thereby jeopardising continuity between projects, with the resultant delay in commencing a successor project whilst new staff are recruited, I have agreed that the Welsh Assembly Government will underwrite the transitional costs of partners.

In the event that successor projects for Genesis Wales are not agreed with effect from April 1st 2008, local authorities will be reimbursed for any costs in continuation of the Genesis Wales project for one quarter, up to a maximum of £600,000 in total across Wales. The funding would be payable in both Objective 1 and Objective 3 areas either because successor projects are not agreed at all, or there is no or insufficient retrospection.

I envisage that this announcement will enable core Genesis Wales staff to be retained until the end of June 2008.