Sta/Medr/04/2026: Further education, apprenticeships and community learning, August 2024 to July 2025

Main points

• There were 161,920 learners in further education, apprenticeships or local authority community learning during the 2024/25 academic year.
• Full-time further education learners increased to a record high.
• Provisional data suggests the rising trend in full-time further education learners is continuing in 2025/26.
• Part-time learner numbers decreased, for the first time in 4 years.
• The number of apprenticeships started was the lowest since these statistics began.
• Local authority community learning numbers are higher than before the pandemic.
• Level 2 full-time further education has been rising consistently.
• There has been a rise in fluent Welsh speakers taking activities with a ‘significant amount’ of Welsh medium learning.
• Learners taking further education, apprenticeships, and community learning are more likely to live in deprived neighbourhoods.
• 1 in 6 learners have a learning difficulty or disability, the most since these statistics began.
• Learners are more diverse than the Welsh population.

Learners by learning and provider type

Figure 1: August 2024 to July 2025

Description: There were 127,530 learners in colleges. There were 46,140 apprentices, split between colleges and other training providers.

[Note 1]: Some learners will have studied at multiple provider types.

Further education includes learners studying A levels and other general qualifications, as well as learners studying vocational qualifications (for example BTECs).

Local authority community learning is community learning funded by Medr, that is delivered directly by local authorities.