Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:56 pm on 20 October 2021.
Well, I was going to make a comment on Siân Gwenllian's contribution, and I think she discussed a range of things that need to be done in order to support the workforce—to attract the workforce in the first instance, and to support them in the longer term. It's true that we need to do a range of different things. I've referred to some of those in my speech already, but Siân Gwenllian and Samuel Kurtz also mentioned challenges in recruiting to the Welsh-medium sector, and I accept that more needs to be done in that area. We do have some work ongoing in drawing up a plan with partners in order to attract more Welsh-medium teachers to our schools, which is crucial if we are to reach our targets. But, although the increase that I've mentioned is to be welcomed, we recognise that there is still more work to be done, particularly in those areas where recruitment is more challenging.
To respond to the impact that COVID-19 has had on teachers who are undergoing training, we are investing over £7 million to provide long-term placements to newly qualified teachers to tackle some of those challenges. And working closely with local authorities, the regions and the Education Workforce Council, we have found an appropriate school for over 400 newly qualified teachers. This creates additional capacity for schools, enabling them to enable learners to get over this recent time and to develop the curriculum for Wales.
To conclude, Dirprwy Lywydd, supporting the education profession is a key priority for this Government. To do this, we are investing more money than ever before in professional training, we are taking steps to support well-being, and we will continue to do everything we can to release capacity and to remove bureaucracy, so that they can continue to do what they do best—namely to inspire and educate the young people and children of Wales.