Jessica O'ConnorTUC Cymru is urging the next Welsh Government to increase funding for the Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF), highlighting new data that shows the programme is helping thousands of workers gain skills and stay in work.
Established in 1999, WULF supports people who are often excluded from traditional learning.
Research by Wavehill showed that nearly a quarter of participants reported having a disability and 26% said they caring responsibilities – groups that frequently struggle to access classroom-based training.
Most learners were aged 50 to 59, helping older workers remain competitive in a changing jobs market.
The scheme is also popular with employers, who have co-invested more than £2.5m in training during the current funding period.
Many said the training improves performance and benefits their organisations directly.
Among learners, 93% found the courses useful and 72% said their work performance improved. More than half said they would not have taken any training without WULF’s support.
Shavanah Taj, TUC Cymru general secretary, said: “Everyone should have access to lifelong learning.
“After 26 years of WULF I’m still meeting workers whose lives have been transformed by union-led learning. But WULF doesn’t just change individuals’ lives, it’s also good for employers and good for the economy.”
