Welsh Conservative Shadow Minster for Education, Skills and the Welsh Language, Suzy Davies MS, is urging students not to let Covid-19 define their future as A-levels are announced today and GCSEs next week.

Suzy Davies MS is also calling on the Welsh Labour-led Government to ensure that all families are given full information about the grading process and how schools can appeal.

She is also asking universities to be flexible with individual offers whilst urging the Welsh Government to increase apprenticeships in all sectors to give our young people the opportunities needed.

The UK Government already has a plan in place to support young people aged 16-24 with the £2 billion Kickstart scheme, enabling 6-month long work placements.

Commenting Suzy Davies MS said:

“Exam day is worrying enough. Qualifications Wales has promised a robust system which will produce credible results broadly in line with last year. However, if any pupil thinks their grade is well out of line with what they expected, they should approach the school about appealing. But schools should also explain how university clearing can help pupils access high quality degree courses as well.

“I also ask universities, in individual cases, to be flexible where a pupil can show that the historic performance of their school may have affected their own result unfairly.

“There are other routes to excellence of course, although we need far more of them in Wales. We could do with more degree apprenticeships but also quick-response schemes like the UK government’s £2 billion Kickstart scheme.

“Welsh Government now needs to put more focus on our colleges and work-based learning. The percentage of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) was far higher in Wales than in England before Covid-19 and will get worse during the inevitable recession. Yet Welsh Government kept colleges waiting to know what resources they would get in September and only reluctantly U-turned on proposed cuts to funding which ultimately supported apprenticeships.

“My message is don’t let Covid-19 define your future.

“We’ve already had a lost generation of young people due to the Welsh Government’s underfunding of schools, I want to see our young people flourish and help be a key part of Wales’ recovery from Covid-19.”