Group membership and office
holders
Name of Group Chair:
Luke
Fletcher MS (Plaid Cymru) JoyceWatson MS (WelshLabour)
Names
of other Members of the Senedd:
Paul
Davies MS (Welsh Conservatives) Heledd Fychan MS (Plaid Cymru)
Mabon ap Gwynfor MS (Plaid Cymru)
Name
of Secretary and Organisation:
Jeff Protheroe /
ColegauCymru
Lisa Mytton / National
TrainingFederation for Wales
Names
of other externalmembers and organisations represented:
Aled
Jones-Griffith – Grŵp Llandrillo Menai Barry Walters -
Pembrokeshire College Ceri Murphy - Itec Training Solutions
Ltd
Faith O’Brien -
Cambrian TrainingCompany
Geraint
Williams - St David’sCatholic Sixth Form College John Nash -
TSW Training Ltd
Johnathon Morgan - Coleg y Cymoedd Jude Holloway -
Educ8
Kathryn
Robson - Adult Learning Wales Kelly Fountain - Gower College
Swansea Lisa M Thomas - The College MerthyrTydfil Mark Dacey - NPTC
Group of Colleges Nicola Gamlin - Coleg Gwent
Richard Spear - ACT TrainingLtd Sarah John - ALS Training
Ltd
Sharon
James – Evans - Cardiff and Vale College Vanessa Cashmore-
Coleg Sir Gâr / Coleg Ceredigion Viviene Buckley - Bridgend
College
Yanina Williams - Coleg
Cambria
Other meetingsof the Group since
the last AGM
Meeting1
Date ofMeeting:
23 September 25
Attendees:
Joyce
Watson MS, Co-chair and Senedd Member for Mid & West Wales
Cefin Campbell MS, Senedd Member for Mid & West
Wales
Amy
Williams, Policy Officer, ColegauCymru Barry Walters,Principal,
Pembrokeshire College
Billy
Jones, Communications and Research Officer –office of Luke
Fletcher MS Caryn Grimes, Manager, Cardiff Capital Region Skills
Partnership
Chris
Laity, Policy Officer, Universities Wales Deio Owen, Llywydd /
President, NUS Wales
Faith O'
Brien,Managing Director, CambrianTraining Company Ltd Gareth
Matthews, Director, Itec Training Ltd
Hariett
Barnes, Directorof Research, Innovation and Skills, Medr Heather
Davidson, Head of Apprenticeships, Medr
James Scorey,
DeputyPrincipal, Cardiff and Vale College
Jane
Lewis, Manager,Regional Skills Partnership South West Wales Janis
Richards, Membership Director (Wales), Make UK
Jeff
Protheroe, Strategic Adviser – Work-based Learning and
Employability, ColegauCymru Jonathan Morgan, Principal and Chief
Executive, Coleg y Cymoedd
Jude Holloway,
ManagingDirector, Educ8 TrainingLtd
Karen Smith, Communications
and Marketing Manager,National Training Federation for Wales
(NTFW)
Kelly
Edwards, Directorfor Partnerships and Strategic Development,
ColegauCymru Lisa M Thomas, Principal and Chief Executive, The
College Merthyr Tydfil
Lisa
Mytton, Strategic Director, National TrainingFederation for Wales
(NTFW) Lleu Williams, Head of Engagement, Qualifications
Wales
Lucy
Hopkins, Communications Manager, ColegauCymru Marek Zemanik,Senior
Public PolicyAdviser (UK Nations),CIPD
Mark Dacey , Chief Executive
Officer, Grŵp NPTC Group ofColleges
Nicola Thornton-scott,
AssistantPrincipal for Work-based Learning and Skills,Grŵp
NPTC
Group of Colleges
Nitesh
Patel, Communication Officer – officeof Joyce Watson MS Paul
Kift, Interim Principal, Gower College Swansea
Rachel Cable, Directorof
Policy and Public Affairs,ColegauCymru
Rhys
Goode, StrategicAdviser – Policyand Partnerships,
ColegauCymru Richard Spear, Managing Director, ACT Training
Ltd
Ryland
Doyle, Researchand Communications Officer–office of Mike
Hedges MS Sarah John, Director, ALS Training Ltd
Sharon James – Evans,
Principal, Cardiff and Vale College
Siân Lloyd Roberts,Manager, North WalesRegional
Skills Partnership Vivienne Buckley, Principal and Chief Executive,
Bridgend College
Summary of the issuesdiscussed:
The
meeting focused on Medr’s consultation on Wales’ Future
Apprenticeships Programme (2027). An opening presentation was
delivered by Medr’s Head of Apprenticeships, Heather
Davidson, focusedon reshaping Wales’apprenticeship system to
be more flexible, inclusive, and responsive to evolving economic
and learner needs. Central to Medr’s proposal is a shift from
a procurement-based funding model to a grant-based approach, aimed
at fostering collaboration among providers and enabling strategic
partnerships. The meeting provided a forum for discussion, where
stakeholders emphasised the need for agility in programme design to
meet changing labour market demands and regional variations, while
also raising concerns about the slow pace of framework and
qualification reviews that could hinder innovation.
Inclusivity, employer engagement, and learner support were
key themes throughout the meeting. There was strong support for
maintaining an all-age programme, reaching under- represented
groups, and embedding the Welsh language. Members called for
broader employer participation, especially among SMEs, and
suggested wage subsidies, incentives, and a brokerage service to
streamline employer involvement. The importance of wrap-around
support for apprentices and impartial careeradvice and guidance in
schools was highlighted to promote apprenticeships as an equal
alternative to academic routes. Finally, improving data collection
on learner outcomes was seen as vital for shaping future policy and
assessing programme impact.
The
group discussednominations for Co-chairs. Heledd Fychan MS (by
proxy) nominated Joyce Watson MS and Luke Fletcher MS to continue
as Co-chairs, and this was seconded by another member of the group.
Additionally, the secretariat position was discussed, with Billy
Jones (on behalf of Luke Fletcher MS) nominating both ColegauCymru
and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTFW) to continue
in the role, which was also seconded.
Meeting2
Date ofMeeting:
N/A
Attendees:
Summary of the issues discussed:
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text.
Meeting 3
Date
of Meeting:
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text.
Attendees:
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Professional lobbyists, voluntary organisations and
charities the Group have met during the previous year.
[names of
lobbyists/organisations/charities should be includedas follows,
e.g.]
Name
of Organisation:
N/A
Name
of Group:
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tap here to enter text.
Name
of Organisation:
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text.
Name
of Group:
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text.
Annual Financial Statement
Cross Party Group Title:
Apprenticeships
Date:
10/11/25
Name
of Chair:
Luke Fletcher MS Joyce Watson MS
Name
of Secretary and Organisation:
Jeff Protheroe – ColegauCymru / CollegesWales
Lisa Mytton – NationalTraining Federation for
Wales
|
Title
|
Description
|
Amount
|
|
Group’s
Expenses
|
None
|
£0.00
|
|
Costs of all goods
|
Catering
|
£249.60
|
|
Benefits received
by the group or individual members from external bodies
|
No benefits received.
|
£0.00
|
|
Any financial
support or other support.
|
No financial support was received.
|
£0.00
|
|
Total
|
£249.60
|
Services provided to the
Group,such as hospitality.
All
hospitality paid for [includethe name of the group/organisation].
Catering for the meeting on
23 September 2025 provided by Compass Group
|
Date
|
Name and description of provider
|
Costs
|
|
24 September
2025
|
Compass Group, Senedd
caterers
|
£249.60
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
£249.60
|
