Wales’ apprenticeships providers express frustration over budget cuts while other education sectors receive increased funding
Cardiff: It’s a bit of a letdown for apprenticeships in Wales. The Welsh Government’s draft budget didn’t include any extra funding for them, even though other education areas got more cash.
The National Training Federation for Wales is really pushing for more investment in apprenticeships as the budget talks roll on. Earlier this year, they even cut the apprenticeship budget by 14 percent, which stings.
Lisa Mytton, the strategic director at NTFW, pointed out how important apprenticeships are for building a skilled workforce. She praised Mark Drakeford, the finance cabinet secretary, for calling the draft budget a “plan for growth” and one that “protects the vulnerable.”
She believes these ideas are what apprenticeships are all about—helping people and strengthening communities in Wales. Lisa stressed that more funding is crucial to meet the First Minister’s priorities and to really unlock the potential of apprenticeships.
She added that any extra money would help recover some of the losses from inflation and previous cuts. It’s clear that they need to step up support for apprenticeships to keep things moving in the right direction.