Championing further education, strengthening vocational training and pathways, and giving learners real choice and clear signposting to their full range of options will be a priority for a Plaid Cymru government.
We will build a skills system that works for every learner and provides meaningful opportunities for education, work and training for every young person – with a clear national strategy for vocational education and qualifications that meet Wales’s current and future needs, aligned with real job opportunities.
We will strengthen links with employers, expand work experience and apprenticeships, and support high-quality Welsh-medium pathways. Promoting closer working between schools and colleges, we will support the rollout of VCSEs and ensure Junior Apprenticeships are available through every college.
We will also continue to expand opportunities for lifelong learning and adult retraining, so learners of all ages can move smoothly from education to work to further study.
We will protect Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) at £40 a week for eligible learners aged 16 to 18.