£3m skills boost to the digital and green sector

A Welsh Government-funded programme helping people aged 19 and over to improve their skills and employment prospects has received a £3m boost to focus on digital and net zero skills, Ministers have confirmed today.

Personal Learning Accounts (PLA) support individuals on lower-incomes and those whose jobs are at risk, to learn new skills, achieve new qualifications and help to rewrite their careers.

£1m will be used to train people in areas including cyber, programming, data analysis, network and cloud infrastructure, database management, and digital analysis skills.

£2m will be invested to support individuals to either upskill or re-skill in net zero skills, which will help develop a highly skilled workforce to support Wales achieve a  transition to net zero. The sectors supported will be construction, energy, engineering and manufacturing.

To date over £51m has been invested and almost 30,000 adults in Wales have benefited since Personal Learning Accounts launched in 2019, with over 16,000 individuals enrolling within the last academic year alone.

The free and flexible courses are available across Wales through 13 Welsh colleges and deliver vocational training in sectors where there is a skills shortage to ensure the future needs of the economy are met.

Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, said: “We are delighted to make this announcement during Adult Learners’ Week Personal Learning Accounts provide excellent opportunities for people to re-train to find the right career for them.  Digital training and net zero skills are areas we know that employers are increasingly looking for as a skills base, while also being aligned with our commitments to be a greener, stronger, fairer Wales.

“The PLA programme has had an excellent response since its launch, and I would encourage individuals wanting to develop their careers to find out more.”

Minister for Economy, Vaughan Gething, said: “It’s fantastic to see that so many people across Wales are taking advantage of the courses available through Personal Learning Accounts.

“The cost-of-living crisis is having a significant impact on household disposable income, so it’s imperative that we continue to fund and tailor vocational training to individuals who are looking for a brighter future. Personal Learning Account courses not only help to upskill individuals, but they are essential in filling vital talent gaps within our economy.”