The Welsh Government has awarded £2 million to further education colleges to provide training for jobs in the green economy.
The funding is part of the Welsh Government’s Personal Learning Accounts programme, which supports people in lower-income jobs to retrain and move into longer term, skilled jobs with higher earnings.
Six colleges have been awarded funding to deliver the courses, which will include areas such as electric and hybrid cars, environmentally-friendly heating systems and e-bikes.
The courses will be available from level 2 to level 5, with most courses at level 3. The courses are part-time and flexible, designed for study around other commitments.
The courses will be open to:
adults over 19 who earn under £26,000 a year, including employees currently on furlough, or on a zero hours contract, or whose job is at risk; and
employees of companies who have identified specific training needs in these sectors.
Personal Learning Account courses are designed to match skills gaps identified in priority sectors. Further education colleges have worked with employers to develop courses which are expected to create job opportunities now or in the near future.
The colleges which are being awarded funding are:
Gower College Swansea
Pembrokeshire College
Coleg Sir Gar
Grwp Llandrillo Menai
Cardiff and Vale College
Bridgend College
The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, said: “Jobs in the green economy will continue to increase in the future, as we intensify our actions to fight climate change, such as the shift towards more environmentally-friendly transport. Our further education colleges will be instrumental in ensuring we have skilled workers with the expertise to meet the demand from employers."
Minister for Climate Change, Julie James, said: "As a Government, we are committed to working in social partnership to create new jobs in the industries of the future, and to transform our economy into one which is greener and fairer.
"These courses will create new opportunities in industries which are sustainable and will help us in our overarching aim to fight climate change."