Written question WQ95841

We continue to support the recruitment of entrants to Initial Teacher Education programmes through a range of activities including the use of incentives and promoting teaching as a career through marketing activities.

Our priority subject incentive scheme offers up to £15,000 for students training to teach Biology, Chemistry, Design & Technology, Information Technology, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages, Physics or Welsh as a subject in the Secondary sector.

We offer an additional £5,000 incentive for students who train to each through the medium of Welsh and an additional £5,000 incentive for students from a recognised ethnic minority.

We invest circa £35m every year in the professional development of the workforce. In 2025-26, this includes £13.5m awarded directly to schools to invest in professional learning, to enable all practitioners to deliver high-quality learning and teaching.

A range of professional learning for all practitioners is available across Wales, including induction for new teachers, continuous professional learning opportunities for teachers including support on teaching pedagogy and developing all practitioners as enquirers. There’s also a professional learning pathway for support staff and a pathway to support teachers on their journey to senior leadership and headship.

On 13 January I issued a written statement setting out my intention to develop a Strategic Education Workforce Plan Written Statement: Strategic education workforce plan. We’ll be working with local authorities, Unions, Estyn and a range of other stakeholders to develop the Plan and addressing how we improve teacher recruitment and retention and the quality of teaching will be a key part of this plan amongst other areas.

I have also announced that we are establishing a new national body for professional learning and leadership which will respond to changing practitioner and government priorities and ensure that practitioners have the support they need. The national body will provide the opportunities for practitioners to develop, share good practice and learn from each other in order to impact positively on educational standards in Wales.