Colleges in Wales are set to receive £23 million in Covid-19 support funding from the Welsh government.

The support is part of the Welsh government’s actions to support students and other education institutions to provide skills training and learning in response to the economic impact of the coronavirus. Around £27 million will be provided to higher education institutions.

The University and College Union has called on Westminster to follow the Welsh lead in supporting colleges and universities.

UCU’s general secretary Jo Grady said: “This announcement is a welcome recognition of the problems that both further and higher education face. It is important that both colleges and universities use this funding to protect jobs and expand opportunities for students.

“Ministers in Westminster now need to step up their game and deliver more than the piecemeal funding with problematic strings attached that we have seen so far. Universities and colleges across the UK need urgent support from the Westminster government so they can continue to function and are in a position to lead our recovery from the current crisis.”

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The Welsh government has said more than £15 million of the £50 million support package will be provided for learners beginning their A-level or vocational course at an FE college or sixth form, to increase teaching support following their time away from their education setting earlier this year and to help with their transition to post-16 learning.

The funding will be provided for all full-time learners aged between 16 and 19 and represents a 5 per cent increase to funding per student.

Up to £5 million will be provided to support vocational learners to return to college to help them achieve their licence-to-practise qualifications, without needing to resit the full year.

An extra £3.2 million will be used to provide digital equipment such as laptops for FE students and an additional £466,000 will be provided to support students undertaking Independent Living Skills programmes, to enable them to complete their transition from college into employment and independence.

Around £100,000 will also be provided to support regional mental health and wellbeing projects and professional development in Local Authority Community Learning.

‘Colleges and universities are stewards of place’

Welsh education minister Kirsty Williams said: “Our universities and colleges here in Wales are world-class, both for their research and for student life. The most recent student survey, published last week, showed yet again that Welsh universities poll ahead of the UK for student satisfaction.

“Our colleges and universities are stewards of place. Each one across the nation, and working together, will be important in our recovery as they work with schools, business, international partners and public services.

“So we are supporting these major institutions in Welsh life, so that they can support students of all ages, and keep playing their part in our recovery.

“We will not have a full picture of the pandemic’s impact on universities until next term, but this funding will provide a vital support to our institutions in their preparations for the autumn.

“Our support for 16-19 age students aims to ensure students beginning courses in September are not disadvantaged by the disruption they faced earlier this year, and is part of our wider measures to ensure we have a skilled workforce that will drive forward the economic recovery from the coronavirus.

“We will consider the situation and needs again in the autumn, to continue our support for the economic and social recovery from Covid-19.”

Colleges Wales chief executive Iestyn Davies said: “While we warmly welcome today’s announcement, questions still remain about the practicalities of how all further education learners can safely return to education from September. This is especially important for the many students aged 19 and above where the science tells us that they need to be treated as adults.”