CEREDIGION loses more than 1,000 20 to 24-year-olds to other parts of the UK every year, figures have shown.

Figures from Stats Wales show that over the past five years, 5,880 young adults have fled the county to seek work, or not stayed on after completing studies at the county’s two universities.

The picture is similar across parts of west Wales and Assembly Member Simon Thomas has called on the Welsh Government to take action to stem the “brain drain”.

Thanks to universities in Lampeter and Aberystwyth, Ceredigion has a net gain in inward migration among the 15 to 19 year-old age bracket, with youngsters coming from across the UK to study in the county.

Over the last five years, Ceredigion has welcomed more than 3,500 15 to 19-year-olds than have left the county to study or work elsewhere after finishing school.

The high numbers coming into Ceredigion around university age are exceeded, however, by the numbers leaving in the 20 to 24-year-old bracket, with Aberystwyth and Lampeter students moving away after completing their studies and non-university students in the county also looking further afield for jobs.

Mr Thomas, who led a debate at the Senedd, said the issue “was one of the greatest social, economic and cultural problems facing Wales.”

Speaking in the Senedd chamber Mr Thomas called on the Labour Government to do more to help solve the problem.

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