Early Years Welsh-medium Provision

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 2:58 pm on 2 March 2022.

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Photo of Jeremy Miles Jeremy Miles Labour 2:58, 2 March 2022

I thank the Member for that really important supplementary question. The last meeting I had before coming into the Chamber today was in fact with the Deputy Minister for Social Services, who was reviewing the 10-year workforce plan for the sector, and identifying with her what more we can do to encourage young people into Welsh language provision in early years settings more broadly. But there is a broad and varied programme of support in place for the childcare, play-work and early years workforce in relation to learning and improving Welsh, which includes programmes like Camau, which is an online, entry level self-study course, and accessing workplace learning. There are also a number of options open to people considering joining the childcare sector, with apprenticeships and full and part-time courses available both in Welsh and in English. We're aware, obviously, as her question implies, that the number undertaking those courses through the medium of Welsh is lower than we want them to be, and we'll be working to improve this over the course of the Senedd term.