Written question WQ90867

Over the last few years, dedicated funding has helped to build capacity in colleges to better identify, understand and meet learners’ mental health needs. It is a key part of colleges’ role to help support students as they prepare for their next steps into further learning or employment.

Between 2020 and 2024, we have allocated over £20m to support mental health and wellbeing of learners and staff in the further education sector. Most of this funding has gone directly to colleges to provide frontline support.

In 2023/24, the Welsh Government is funding a feasibility study to explore how links between colleges and NHS mental health services can be strengthened, including referral processes and more consistent recording of the severity of learners’ needs. This is due to report in summer and will inform future work on integrated mental health support for further education learners.

Our Out of Work Peer Mentoring Service helps the most vulnerable, and those furthest away from the labour market, to rebuild their lives and to get back into training, education and employment. It is focused on providing long term support to people recovering from mental health and/or substance misuse issues including people aged 16-24 who are Not in Education, Employment or Training.

The ‘Get Ready’ element of Jobs Growth Wales+ includes team building, mental health and wellbeing resilience, outdoor pursuits and problem solving, and practical advice and guidance on a range of topics, including money management and benefits. The new activity aims to help young people build confidence and learn the life skills they need to get ready for their next step.

We have worked with our contractors and external job coach agencies to pilot an innovative model of support with learners. We have had very positive feedback from learners and parents as well as our contractors on the support put in place. Many learners’ confidence has improved significantly whilst on the programme and some have already gone onto paid employment opportunities.

Finally, our Youth Engagement and Progression Framework outlines a process for organisations to work together to identify 11- to 18-year-olds who need support and to provide appropriate support. The Framework enables organisations to support young people’s mental health, by harnessing existing mental health and well-being services and resources.