What action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure that skills programmes and apprenticeships are sufficiently flexible to meet the needs of family businesses and other SMEs?
The Welsh Government recognises the important role that apprenticeships and wider skills programmes play in supporting businesses of all sizes, including family businesses and SMEs.
Medr is currently developing a new apprenticeship programme for implementation from August 2027. As part of this work, Medr is exploring how barriers faced by SMEs can be addressed and how the programme can be made more flexible and responsive to the needs of employers, learners and the economy.
Alongside apprenticeships, our Flexible Skills Programme provides direct support to employers to upskill and reskill their workforce through a demand-led model, enabling businesses to access training that meets their specific needs and business priorities. The programme supports employers of all sizes across Wales with a generous 50% contribution from Welsh Government and can respond quickly to emerging skills requirements and opportunities.
More broadly, the Welsh Government is strengthening the skills system through a National Skills Audit and a Future Skills Summit, which will help inform future priorities and ensure the system is aligned to employer and workforce needs.