Today, Cefin Campbell MS has been appointed as Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education. ColegauCymru has a strong record of working in partnership with Welsh Government, and will continue to play a positive and proactive role in ensuring we have a strong and resilient further education sector.
ColegauCymru Chief Executive, David Hagendyk, said,
“Today we express our warmest congratulations to Cefin Campbell MS on his appointment as Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education. This Senedd term will be defining for Wales’ future. The challenges of net zero, delivering sustainable economic growth, rapid technological change, and new demands on public services will shape Wales’ future for a generation. ColegauCymru and our members stand ready to work with the new Welsh Government team, and it is critical that from day one the cabinet understand the pressure ahead. Full-time learner numbers in our colleges are surging again but the funding isn't keeping pace, there are decisions to be made about the future of vocational qualifications, there is a crucial decision to be made on future support for adult part-time provision.
It is vital that the apprenticeship budget is protected in the wider tertiary portfolio. The absence of an apprenticeships target means real uncertainty about future skills policy.
With a new cabinet team in place, this is an opportunity for us to redouble our efforts on securing a sustainable funding package for colleges - to enable us to deliver the core curriculum as well as all important learner support. We must never lose focus on raising quality, and we look forward to working together with the Deputy Minister to develop a vocational education and training strategy, which closely aligns to Wales’ economic and industrial priorities. Colleges are ready to play their part in this new era for Wales, helping to deliver growth and new opportunities for our communities, and tackling chronic poverty levels.
FE is a devolution success story. Over the last twenty-five years the sector has been transformed precisely because leaders were prepared to take the difficult decisions needed to be financially sustainable and to deliver high-quality education and training. Colleges have earned the right to be trusted by government and our sector is once again ready to play its part in meeting the challenges of the future”.
Further Information
ColegauCymru Manifesto for the Senedd 2026 election
Growth, Opportunity and Fairness
Amy Williams, Policy Officer
Amy.Williams@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
