James Evans MS has called on the Welsh Government to overhaul its restrictive apprenticeship funding rules after highlighting cases where young people in border communities are unable to access specialist training available in England.
Speaking during a Senedd debate on apprenticeship pathways, James said the current Welsh Government model, which only funds Welsh providers is blocking rural students from pursuing courses that are not available within Wales, despite many intending to return home to work in Welsh industries.
James has long been a strong advocate for apprenticeships, regularly visiting schools across Brecon & Radnorshire to promote them as a first-choice career route. He says the Welsh Labour Government’s rigid system is denying opportunities to talented young people and holding back businesses in border regions.
James Evans MS, Senedd Member for Brecon and Radnorshire, said:
“Unfortunately, some courses that Welsh students want to study are not available in Wales. For someone living on the border, like in B&R, it makes absolutely no sense that the Welsh Government blocks funding for degree apprenticeships just because the classroom happens to sit a few miles over the border. It is a parochial policy that is limiting opportunities and pushing people down career routes that simply aren’t right for them.
“I recently dealt with a case involving a young constituent who wanted to study rural enterprise and land management at Harper Adams. The employer was Welsh, the job was in Wales, and the student wanted to return to Wales, yet the Welsh Government refused funding purely because the provider was in England. That is not a system designed around young people; it’s a system designed around bureaucracy.
“I’ve always been clear that apprenticeships must be seen as a first-choice route, not a fallback. But to do that, the Welsh Labour Government must give young people access to the full range of specialist apprenticeships available across the UK. Border communities should not be penalised. The Welsh Government must urgently modernise its funding rules so young people in Brecon & Radnorshire have the same opportunities as their peers elsewhere.”
