Gynta oll ga i ddweud pa mor gyffroes ydw i i allu bod yma heddiw. Dwi wedi gweithio'n agos gyda phartneriaeth datblygu Cyfenter ers y lawnsiad a gynhaliais yn y Senedd yn 2002 ar gyfer y 3 partneriaeth oedd yn cael eu arianu gan EQUAL yng Nghymru,.
Fel aelod o Bwyllgor Cyflogaeth a Materion Cymdeithasol y senedd roeddwn i'n gallu dilyn datblygiad arianu EQUAL sydd, wrth gwrs, a'r amcan o atal pob math o ddisgrimineiddio yn y farchnad llafur. Yn aml mae hyn wedi canolbwyntio ar baratoi pobl ar gyfer gwaith a ffeindio gwaith addas iddyn nhw, fel partneriaeth DEEP yng Nghymru . Ond mae Cyfenter yn wahanol. Mae'r ffocws positif ar fentro a chreu pethau o'r newydd i'w groesawu yn fawr.
Felly sut mae project Cyfenter a Chymru yn rhan o'r cyd-destun Ewropeaidd?
Ers 1999 mae dyletswydd ar yr Undeb Ewropeaidd i ystyried grwpiau wedi eu heithrio'n gymdeithasol yn ei bolisi cymdeithasol a'r farchnad llafur.
Yn y flwyddyn 2000 lawnsiwyd strategaeth cyflogaeth a chystadleuaeth newydd gan yr UE - Strategaeth Lisbon. Bwriad Lisbon oedd i gael twf economaidd a lefel cyflogaeth uwch ar draws yr Undeb gyda chydnabyddiaeth bod entrepreneuriaeth yn angenrheidiol ar gyfer hyn. Yr amcan oedd creu economi cystadleuol yn seiliedig ar wybodaeth a fuasai'r cryfaf yn y byd.
Un o'r prif dargedau oedd i gael 60% o fenywod mewn cyflogaeth erbyn 2010. Mae twf wedi bod, o ran niferoedd ac mae'r lefel tua 55% erbyn hyn. Ond mae beirniadaeth wedi bod yn Senedd Ewrop a thu hwnt o'r targed ei hun. Mae'n rhaid edrych ar safon y swyddi, lefel cyflogau, pa sector mae'r gwaith, a pha mor gynaladwy ydy'r swyddi. Does dim digon o ystyriaeth wedi bod o'r opsiwn i fod yn hunan gyflogedig neu cychwyn busnes. Llynedd fe alwodd y Senedd ar y Comisiwn i daclo'r ffaith mai dim ond 23% o fusnesau yn Ewrop mae menywod yn eu perchen ac i wneud adroddiad manwl o'r rhesymau pam nad oes mwy o fenywod yn cychwyn busnesau. Efallai fod Cyfenter wedi gwneud y gwaith ar eu rhan yn barod!
Does dim modd edrych ar lefel entrepreneuriaeth menywod heb edrych ar anghenion addysg ac hyfforddiant, gofal plant a phobl eraill, cefnogaeth ariannol, ymarferol ac addas. Ac mae'r un peth yn wir am yr holl grwpiau targed. Mae hyfforddiant gallu bod mor sylfaenol a rhywun i egluro sut mae delio gydag anfonebau a sut i baratoi cytundeb.
At the end of last year a high level group chaired by the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Wim Kok assessed the progress of the Lisbon strategy and recommended future work. One of its key messages was "Creating the right climate for entrepreneurs". In the report, 'Facing the Challenge', the group stress that Europe needs more entrepreneurs and is "not entrepreneur-minded enough" at present. Their recommendations for change are:
* to get better regulation so that the burden of rules and regulations is not overwhelming;
* that all the information needed to set up a business should be available in a one-stop shop;
* that more risk capital should be available and longer term loans;
and
* that failure should not be stigmatised so heavily; legally or socially.
These are things which are relevant to all potential entrepreneurs. But I also think that it was a missed opportunity to focus on under-represented groups.
Among the findings of the 2004 'Eurobarometer' survey, which measures opinions on different issues across the EU, is that 59% of Europeans have never even considered setting up a business, let alone achieved such a dream and why? Well in this survey a regular income, job stability and fear of failure are cited as reasons that hold people back.
However one-third of EU citizens would still consider setting up a business in the next 5 years, the majority saying greater independence and self-fulfilment was their motivation, rather than making more money. But lack of available financial support ranks as the single greatest obstacle for would-be entrepreneurs. Two thirds of women had never thought about setting up a business and that figure was worse amongst the young (15-24 year old), older (55+ years) and those who had left school early.
The European Commission department for Enterprise also carried out a study among the then 15 EU member states on the obstacles that dependent employees face when they try to become self-employed or start their own businesses.
They found that the biggest problem faced by employees who want to become self-employed is the often unclear legal definition of the self-employment status. There were concerns about how it effected their tax and social security situation and how to avoid serious financial liabilities as well as the loss of unemployment & other benefits. These are two of the main Cyfenter findings as well.
There are however also good examples in the study of how to overcome this problem: the social security systems of some countries offer insurance cover for the self-employed and entitlements that were built up during employment can be transferred.
Other examples of good practice that were identified are the possibility of taking unpaid leave from employment in order to try out a business idea and a return to benefits without a loss of entitlements if the enterprise isn't successful. Similar to the Wales co-operative centre scheme.
The Cyfenter research findings on benefits will be especially interesting in light of this.
In the last few years generally in the EU more has been done to focus on female entrepreneurs than other under-represented target groups, partly as a result of the work and continual pressure of the European Parliament Women's Rights Committee and also because of the realisation that the potential of 50% of the population was not being fulfilled! There was for example a Commission conference on International Women's Day last year (8th March) which led to a document of Good Practice in the Promotion of Female Entrepreneurship and a related website.
As Enterprise and Industry Commissioner Gunter Verheugen said:
“Entrepreneurship can be exciting and rewarding, but it also involves risks and hard work. It is the challenge for Member States and the Commission to ensure that entrepreneurship is encouraged by providing a supportive environment for those choosing to take the risks. Therefore, boosting entrepreneurship will be a core element in our forthcoming initiatives to improve the competitiveness of European economy.”
So the right things are being said about entrepreneurship itself but we must make sure that this means under-represented groups in particular. Because the findings of this unprecedented research show that some needs are the same but many are different.
I hope that Cyfenter's transnational partners in the Czech Republic, Germany and the Netherlands can learn as much as us from these research findings. Because many of these issues around entrepreneurship are not unique to Wales.
I will to take ideas and information from today's seminar back with me to Brussels to tell members from other countries and inform our discussions and policy on entrepreneurship and helping under represented groups. This is one of the main aims of the project -to use the information to change things. This is truly innovative work from Wales - speaking to people on the ground and getting immediate feedback that we can then feed into policy decisions. Cyfenter really does go where no-one has gone before so that many groups of people in Wales can boldly go where they have never been to before either - forward to recognise and fulfil their potential. This is invaluable work and I would like to thank all Cyfenter's partners and participants for this opportunity to share in it.
Thank you.
