Important Message from Nick Jones: Apprenticeship Cuts

Please be aware that the Welsh Government is proposing to cut apprenticeship funding by 24.5% in the next financial year that commences on 1st August 2024.

This is on top of a £17.5million reduction that has already taken effect in this current year’s funding.

Whilst the budget cut should not affect current apprentices on current apprenticeship programmes, the future implications are huge and damaging, as the cut will result in far fewer new apprenticeships being able to start from 1st August 2024 due to a quarter of the funding being removed. The 75% of remaining funding, will be dominated by current carry over apprenticeships (ie those apprentices that are half-way through their frameworks for example, and hence have the funding committed already), leaving very little left for new apprentice starts…..

The impact on all training providers of course will be huge also, so we (Myrick) will have to manage the funding cut, and tailor our delivery to suit.

Our understanding is that on the 19th December 2023, the motion will be passed in the Welsh Senedd for the cut to the work-based learning budget.

This email is a call to arms to ask that if you share our concerns, then please email the Minister for Economy, Vaughan Gething on ‘correspondence.Vaughan.Gething@gov.wales’, stating your concerns and the potential impact it will have on the skills you require to run and drive forward your business.

For further information, please see the attached letter that has been sent to all the members of the Welsh Government Senedd by Lisa Mytton (Strategic Director for the National Training Federation of Wales), and David Hagendyk (CEO of CollegesWales). The letter states the huge concerns and huge impact that the proposed cut to the apprenticeship budget will have on our industry.

Myrick will keep you up to date with information ongoing, and we remain grateful to you for the continued help and support that you provide, that enables us to work with you and deliver apprenticeships