Town's young people 'have nothing else to do'

The report said there need to be more apprenticeship opportunities across the Valleys

Young people have "nothing else to do", say local residents, after a report found people living in parts of the Valleys in south Wales need "more, better quality jobs, closer to home".

Residents in Merthyr Tydfil told BBC News it was "quite difficult" for parents juggling work and childcare, and complained the job market "isn't flexible".

Their comments came as a report commissioned by Industrial Communities Alliance Wales (ICA Wales) found the area may be Britain's most disadvantaged former industrial region.

"Next Steps for the Valleys" claims many people have to travel outside the area for work, and almost a fifth of 16-64 year olds are out of work and on benefits.

Nikita Watson said it can be "quite difficult" trying to find childcare while working

'Not the best round here'

Alan Downs, 73, has lived in Merthyr Tydfil for 68 years.

He said the closure of many of the local shops and premises means there are "no jobs about for youngsters".

"That's why there's so much crime and everything, because they haven't got jobs - they have nothing else to do," he added.

Pointing out Methyr Tydfil's boarded-up shops Richard Davies, 38, said residents had to work away.

"I used to work in retail, in Burtons in the town centre, and basically everything is going," he said.

Nikita Watson, 31, has lived in Merthyr Tydfil for three years.

There were not enough jobs, she said, and the market was not flexible.

"It's quite difficult when you have young children, having to find childcare.

James Evans, 42, from nearby Pontypridd, was more upbeat about the job market locally.

"I work for Openreach in Merthyr and there's probably a good few hundred people in there, and they offer apprenticeships and schemes as well.

"So based on that, I think it's pretty good round here. If you want the work and put the effort in, there are opportunities.

"In terms of pay, minimum wage has recently gone up and is reasonable."

Richard Davies said there are "lots of shops boarded up" in the town.

ICA Wales is part of an all-party association of local authorities representing former coalfields and other industrial areas of Wales.

Its member authorities comprise Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Bridgend, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Torfaen.

The group said the UK and Welsh government should work with public and private bodies to help bring prosperity to the Valleys.

It said changes in UK regional policy since Brexit has meant the Valleys have "lost their competitive edge in attracting business investment".

Their report called for greater funding, including support for manufacturing investment in business sites and premises, and more apprenticeship opportunities in the area.

Other proposals put forward in the report include speeding up journey times on public transport, and making more of the recently completed Heads of the Valleys road.

ICA Wales director, Meirion Thomas, said the view from Valleys communities was "far from positive", adding, "the shortage of good job opportunities is stressed, as are the strains of lengthy commuting".

'Deep-rooted problems'

Professor Dylan Jones-Evans said the Valleys "can't afford another lost generation"

Prof Dylan Jones-Evans, an economist, believed the ICA Wales report did not "tell us anything about the deep-rooted problems that we've seen in the south Wales Valleys".

"We can't afford another lost generation in the south Wales Valleys when at the moment there are so many opportunities to grow the economy," he said.

Penderyn distillery boss, Stephen Davies, believed more investment was needed in the area and better public transport required.

He told BBC Radio Wales Drive: "People are spending a lot of time travelling to work when they love to work locally.

"We need more new businesses. We should have more of a spirit and drinks industry, perhaps, but I think new technologies and new businesses are badly needed in the area.

"And since we left the EU, we have not seen a lot of examples of new businesses coming in."

The Welsh government said it was "working to support a range of economic development investments and programmes across the south Wales Valleys to secure more jobs and long-term economic growth".

It said upgrading the Heads of the Valleys road had created 1,000 local jobs, and its £44m Tech Valleys programme was helping develop "cutting edge industry".

It also said the provision of 400,000 sq ft [37,161 sq m] of business premises and 80 acres [32 hectares] for development will "create opportunities for business expansion and jobs closer to home".

From next April, the Welsh government will take over allocation of the local growth fund from Westminster, which it believes will benefit the Valleys region.

The UK government said: "We're working hand-in-hand with the Welsh government to drive growth and opportunity for working people in every part of Wales, with the recent spending review delivering record investment of over £22bn for Welsh public services and infrastructure."