Today the Welsh Government published its supplementary budget, which includes £2.5million to support learners with Additional Learning Needs (ALN). This additional funding has been welcomed by the further education sector, at a time where the number of learners with Individual Development Plans (IDPs) has increased by 74% this academic year. The additional funding will help to alleviate some of the immediate financial and operational pressures facing colleges supporting learners with additional needs. We are grateful to Plaid Cymru and to Welsh Labour for working together to reach this agreement.
There is however an acute and immediate budget emergency facing the college sector. Today in Wales, 56,000 young people are not in employment, education or training - the same size as the population of Barry. Colleges are experiencing record demand for places, but funding simply is not keeping pace. There are 5,000 learners currently studying in college without the associated funding. The sector estimates a funding shortfall this year of £23.5million, and projects that at least £40million will be required in 2027/28 simply to reflect sustained participation.
ColegauCymru Chief Executive David Hagendyk, said,
“We welcome today’s budget agreement, particularly the support for our ALN learners, but the wider budget position for colleges is deeply concerning. We welcome the recognition from both the Welsh Government and Welsh Labour about the participation challenges and the need to review what support can be provided, but after successive years of underfunding the position is becoming unsustainable and colleges are facing substantial, real terms cuts to funding. We continue to urge political parties to work together on a budget that supports our learners, our communities, and economy. Wales cannot afford to wait”.
Further Information
Cabinet Statement
Written Statement: Developing a sustainable Additional Learning Needs (ALN) system
13 October 2026
Alex Still, Policy Officer
Alex.Still@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
