North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has called on the Minister for Further and Higher Education to respond to concerns that a North Wales College Group has been forced to scrap 300 apprenticeship starts, and 23 out of 35 planned Degree Apprenticeship starts, because of the Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship funding cuts.
Speaking in yesterday’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood referred to November’s ColegauCymru/CollegesWales report, 'The Impact of Apprenticeship Funding Cuts in Wales', which found nearly 6,000 fewer apprenticeship starts in Wales this year, with a cost to the economy of £50.3 million, impacting the health, social care, and construction sectors the most, and disproportionately affecting the most deprived.
Having recently met with a North Wales Further Education College Group, Mr Isherwood challenged the Minister for Further and Higher Education over the cuts to apprenticeships they told him they have had to make.
He said:
“CollegesWales have also highlighted concern that, although an independent study has found that Junior Apprenticeship programmes will save the economy £0.75 million per person in preventative spend, in addition to providing numerous additional benefits to learners, roll-out of Junior Apprenticeships is patchy across Wales, demand is exceeding supply, and their future funding is uncertain.
“How, therefore, do you respond to the statement made during my recent visit to a Further Education College Group in North Wales, that they had to cut 300 apprenticeship starts and 23 out of 35 planned Degree Apprenticeship starts this year, and the statement by CollegesWales that ‘we need a national strategy for vocational education and training, and dedicated funding for Junior Apprenticeships?”
Responding, the Minister for Further and Higher Education thanked Mr Isherwood for his “continued passion in this area”.
She added:
“We are fully committed to the role that apprenticeships play within the mix of learning that's offered within the tertiary system”.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Isherwood said:
“The ColegauCymru CollegesWales report and the feedback I received from the College in North Wales tells a different story!
“The Welsh Government should be working with the Further Education sector to increase the skill set in Wales, not making cuts and taking opportunities away from our young people.”
