In response to a question from Vikki Howells AM on 6 November about how he will work with the Education Minister to ensure Wales is not left out of any future Erasmus+ programme post Brexit, Brexit Minister, Jeremy Miles AM highlighted a meeting he had with a group of vocational learners from across south Wales who had benefitted from participating in Erasmus+ placements. This was facilitated by ColegauCymru. During the meeting, the learners spoke about the benefits of the programme in their own lives and in their workplaces.
After discussing the advantages of the scheme and the opportunities it brings, Jeremy Miles, closed his response by saying,
“if we can't participate in the Erasmus+ replacement scheme into the future, which remains our priority, that the UK Government has a UK-wide scheme in mind. But the fundamental point...is that the Treasury has to commit funding in order for that to happen, and, without that funding, it will not be able to be a reality.”
Since 2014, Wales has benefitted from €40.4m of funding from the Erasmus+ programme, and earlier this year, ColegauCymru secured another €1.57m of Erasmus+ funding for FE colleges in 2019/21. This funding will enable over 640 vocational learners, apprentices and staff from colleges across Wales to undertake exciting training opportunities in 12 European countries.
ColegauCymru was pleased that the Education Minister, Kirsty Williams AM, recently responded to an inquiry about UK Government contingency arrangements for Erasmus+, stating:
“Any proposals which fail to recognise the important contribution of Erasmus+ to technical and vocational education would be unacceptable to the Welsh Government”.
ColegauCymru continues to advocate the benefits of Erasmus+ for vocational learners to enrich their education and expand their horizons.
Learners who benefitted from Erasmus+ and attended the meeting included: Briony Morgan and Shane Ash, Tata Steel apprentices, Alex James Jones, The College Merthyr Tydfil, Megan O’Brien and Aaron Tyner, Cardiff and Vale College, Ryan Jones and Scott Richards
