Today, the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, has announced he is to stand down.
ColegauCymru Chief Executive, Dave Hagendyk said,
“ColegauCymru would like to thank the First Minister for his leadership and his government’s support of the further education sector, in particular through the challenges which the Covid pandemic presented to colleges. He has led Wales with integrity and compassion and we wish him well in whatever is next for him.
The next First Minister should embrace further education and work-based learning as the sector that can drive our economic recovery and give people of all ages the opportunity to change their lives through high-quality education and training.
This must mean colleges have sufficient budget to deliver further education and apprenticeships for learners and employers and that there is a vocational education and training strategy which closely aligns to Wales’ economic and industrial priorities.
For colleges to play their role in delivering the stronger, greener, fairer Wales we all want to see, we need the sustained financial support to ensure we can give learners the high quality education they deserve and employers access to the skills they need to grow for the future”.
