Welsh Government says its target of creating 100,000 apprenticeships is set to be exceeded

The Welsh Government has said it is on course to exceed its target of creating 100,000 ‘all-age, high quality apprenticeships’ across Wales during this Assembly term, Economy Minister Ken Skates has said at the beginning of Apprenticeship Week.

Since the target was introduced, more than 74,000 individuals have embarked on an apprenticeship allowing them to learn whilst earning a wage and boost their career prospects.

Apprenticeship Week 2020 is a week-long celebration of the hard work and dedication of apprentices as well as the support and commitment shown by their employers. Events are taking place across Wales to mark the occasion.

The Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship Skills policy is aimed at aligning apprenticeships to meet the needs for a flourishing Welsh economy so Wales can compete globally with a highly skilled workforce.

The Apprenticeship Programme in Wales is funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund.

Speaking as Apprenticeship Week gets underway, Economy Minister Ken Skates said:

“In my role, I have met apprentices in all parts of Wales and it’s fantastic to see how they have grasped the opportunity to learn new skills, develop their knowledge and build confidence.

It’s clear that apprenticeships make a significant contribution to the Welsh economy and drive our vision for a prosperous Wales.

As a government, we are committed to seeing our workforce grow and our investment in apprenticeships is a great example of that.

I want to see Wales lead the way and be a prime example to nations around the globe of how investing in apprenticeships can reap major benefits.

With unemployment in Wales at a record low and our manifesto target of creating 100,000 apprenticeships in this assembly set to be exceeded, the Welsh Government can be rightly proud of the actions we’re taking to supercharge our economy.

Apprenticeship Week offers us a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the tangible and very real difference apprentices and their employers make.

Our ‘make a genius decision’ apprenticeship campaign is also playing a key role in encouraging businesses to recruit an apprentice and realise the positive difference they can make to the workplace.”