6. Will the Minister provide an update on progress in implementing the Welsh-medium and bilingual further education and apprenticeships action plan? OQ56258

I am very pleased with the significant progress of the coleg Cymraeg since the publication of the ambitious and robust action plan. Over 100 additional learners have been supported, and much-needed health and social care resources have been created. The next Prentis-Iaith language modules are also in development after the first level surpassed all of our expectations.

The Minister launched the action plan over two years ago, and although some progress has been made, we are still in a position where only 11 per cent of further education staff and 7 per cent of apprenticeship staff are able to teach through the medium of Welsh. Can the Minister explain what the Welsh Government is doing to ensure that colleges have the resources that they need to employ more staff who do have Welsh language skills to provide bilingual provision, particularly in areas such as childcare and health and social care, where we need a bilingual workforce?

I've provided the coleg with over £0.5 million this year for a range of projects, and strategic projects have been extended to all colleges in the priority areas of health and social care and childcare and public services. Because you're absolutely right; we need to make sure that we have the workforce with the linguistic skills to meet the needs of all communities and citizens in Wales. This has enabled the colleges to employ additional teaching staff and put structures in place to support the learners, and embed bilingual provision within the colleges. What's particularly pleasing, Mike, is that colleges themselves have provided match funding to these projects, which demonstrates their commitment to extending bilingual models and courses for learners. This is a joint endeavour, both from the coleg themselves and also the individual institutions. Over 305 staff in 10 colleges followed the Work Welsh/Cymraeg Gwaith course provided by the National Centre for Learning Welsh last year, and the sector's response has been extremely positive again this year by ensuring that more and more of their staff can access such professional learning opportunities. I'd like to pay tribute to the work that the coleg is doing. The post-16 action plan is a long-term plan, and I have full confidence in the coleg in achieving its very stretching and robust goals. 

Russell George. 

My question has been addressed in an earlier question. Thank you. 

Thank you. Bethan Sayed. 

I have heard you say here today how well the coleg Cymraeg is doing in the work that they're doing, and I agree, and I've met with them to discuss that work. But, when the Minister for the Welsh language attended our committee, the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee, very recently, we raised the issue with her that there was nothing in the draft budget to enhance that budget. The coleg Cymraeg has asked for £800,000 in addition this year, and then further future allocations in order to deliver this laudable work in our FE institutions. So, what do you say to them on that, and do you intend to listen to them and make changes to the budget when it comes to that stage?

I can confirm that discussions have been ongoing between the Welsh language division, the further education and apprenticeship division and finance officials to further explore what more we can do to support the important work of the coleg.