Written question WQ99860
- Asked by
- Lynne NeagleLabour
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 6 days
Question
What assessment has the Cabinet Minister made of whether Medr will be in breach of section 93 of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 if young people aged 16 - 19 on waiting lists for further education are not able to enroll on suitable courses by September?
Answer
Answered by Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education (Cefin Campbell)
Welsh Government recognises that FE colleges are experiencing challenges due to significant increases in learner numbers in recent years and are forecasting further increases in the 2026/27 academic year, with some colleges reporting potential waiting lists.
Medr has taken steps to mitigate the pressures, including through the allocation of additional funding, providing greater flexibility across funding for colleges to meet the potential demand, and capital allocations.
Welsh Government and Medr are monitoring the position closely, and we will consider providing additional funding should it be available as part of our wider consideration of the overall government budget position.