Labour has pledged 100,000 new apprenticeships in Wales over the next five years if the party is re-elected to the Welsh Assembly in May.
Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones included the apprenticeships boost as part of his election pledges for prosperity.
The new apprentice places will be aimed at people of all ages, and will be in addition to the 50,000 apprenticeships that are currently undertaken each year in Wales.
Apprentices key to a skilled workforce
Announcing the plans earlier this week, Jones argued that a strong Welsh economy relies on a “quality, skilled workforce”.
He said: “In the next Assembly term Welsh Labour will strengthen its partnership with Welsh businesses and create a minimum of 100,000 high-quality all-age apprenticeships in the areas where our economy needs to grow.
“The Welsh economy will need higher level skills to compete in the global economy of the future and to keep inward investment strong.
Supporting the economy
“Our pledge is to create high-quality apprenticeships that match the growing skills needs of our businesses and support our economy to flourish.”
While the apprenticeships will be for all ages, Labour hopes to encourage more youngsters aged 16-18 to get involved.
The National Training Federation for Wales recently reported that every £1 spent on apprenticeships in the country created a return of £74.
