Ken Skates: We have a number of initiatives in place to support the development of the well-paid sectors in Wales , including Swansea. This includes increasing our funding to Higher Education Funding Council for Wales for expensive subjects in 2019-20 to support delivery of higher cost subjects, including science, technology, engineering, mathematics, IT and computing.
Vaughan Gething: We continue to work with health boards and Health Education and Improvement Wales on recruitment and retention initiatives. Last year, we recruited record levels of GP trainees.
Mark Drakeford: We have confirmed funding of £2 million for mental health and well-being in the further education sector in 2020-21. Most of the funding is going directly to colleges to build capacity, and to support collaborative projects to ensure a consistent, evidence-based approach to staff and student well-being across Wales.
Mark Drakeford: Due to these exceptional circumstances, on 18 March, the Minister for Education announced that the summer exam series would not go ahead. Learners due to sit their GCSEs and A-levels this summer will be awarded a fair grade to recognise their work, drawing on all available information.
Ken Skates: ...our support for business via the economic resilience fund. We want the people of Islwyn and across Wales to receive the assistance they need, be that work, self-employment or to take up a place in education or training.
Mark Drakeford: The Welsh Government has regular discussions with organisations involved in delivering the Senedd elections in May 2021. In particular, we are working with education and local government partners to enable newly enfranchised younger voters to take their opportunity to vote for the first time in the Senedd elections.
Mark Drakeford: The Welsh Government works with our partners across South Wales Central to educate, raise awareness and prevent hate crime. We provide funding to support victims and promote community cohesion. We have significantly bolstered our work in this area in recognition of tensions arising from EU withdrawal and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lee Waters: We made a COVID commitment to support people into education, employment or training. We acted swiftly and, in July 2020, invested £40 million in jobs and skills to boost front-line services and programmes, to support individuals at risk of redundancy, or seeking new or alternative employment or skills.
Mark Drakeford: We have committed in the programme for government to deliver a young persons guarantee, giving everyone under 25 the offer of work, education, training, or self‑employment. The Minister for Economy will make an oral statement with further details on 29 June.
Rebecca Evans: We are working with local authorities as they plan for local elections in May 2022. Education and communications campaigns will encourage citizens to understand the critical role local government plays and why voting matters. We will also work to tackle the barriers which prevent individuals’ active participation in local democracy.
Vaughan Gething: ..., above the figure for Wales, which was 6 per cent. In our Programme for government, we have made a commitment to deliver a young person’s guarantee, giving everyone under 25 the offer of work, education, training, or self-employment.
Jeremy Miles: As stated in the new programme for government, we are committed to eliminate inequality at every level of society, which includes implementing policies in education that will give everyone the best life chances. We recognise that this will require radical action, innovative thinking and strong coordination and collaboration.
Mark Drakeford: Social media provides both risks and rewards for young people. Through the 'keeping safe online' area of Hwb, we provide extensive resources and guidance to support online safety education, and equip this generation with skills to manage the risks of social media.
Julie James: Local Places for Nature collaborates with hundreds of housing, transport, health and education organisations, creating new nature spaces. For example Merthyr Tydfil local nature partnership is transforming a former tennis court in Troedyrhiw Park into a nature space. Our national forest works with partners creating areas of new woodland.
Mark Drakeford: Our long-term programme of education reform remains ambitious but achievable as we move into a key implementation phase for the Curriculum for Wales and a new system of additional learning needs support to improve the lives of all children and young people in Wales.
Mark Drakeford: Music is an important part of our culture and heritage. We recognise the importance of music education to young people and have allocated £1.5 million in this financial year to support music services across Wales. Through our programme for government, we will establish a national music service.
Mark Drakeford: The programme has invested over £2.2 billion in our educational estate to date, delivering 244 projects. This includes 73 projects that have been approved under second wave funding, of which 21 have been completed and a further 25 are under construction.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: We are committed to undergraduate medical education in north Wales and are working towards this commitment. We have increased medical student places across Wales, to 25 in September 2021 and 40 in September 2022 on the C21 north Wales programme, and an extra 25 places on the graduate entry programme in Swansea from September 2021.
Vaughan Gething: We are working with the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to expand degree apprenticeships, moving from the pilot phase to mainstreaming, in line with our programme for government commitment.
Mark Drakeford: I am pleased that our NHS workforce grows year on year and is now at record levels with over 104,000 staff employed by NHS Wales. We are investing record amounts in education and training; HEIW’s Workforce Strategy also sets out plans for a reformed and sustainable workforce for the future.
