Wales invests extra £50m in technology education drive

Education Minister Kirsty Williams, who claimed the funding is the biggest digital investment so far in the national education sector, said the money will be used to buy equipment and help schools gain a better understanding of Wales’ digital infrastructure.

Local authorities will serve as strategic delivery partners for the programme, using the funding within their areas to upgrade the schools to the national standard.

Williams said: “I am pleased to announce this additional fund of £50 million to raise the quality of education tech equipment within our schools.

“This funding provides us with the opportunity to deliver a more sustainable education tech model for schools, with local authorities working collaboratively to ensure consistency across Wales.

“The money will also guarantee that schools are better equipped to embrace the changes brought about by the new Curriculum for Wales, and further demonstrates our commitment to digital learning, highlighting the importance technology plays within education.

“This is about more than just buying new bits of kit. The programme will transform how our local authorities and schools approach digital delivery, ensuring our children are digitally provisioned well into the future.”

Last year, Wales opened its bid to rival London and Scotland as a major hub for data professionals with the launch of the Welsh Data Science Graduate Programme, designed to give the country’s top talent added incentive to build their careers in the Welsh data sector.

Run by the Welsh Contact Centre Forum, the programme was designed in consultation with data scientists from Wales’ leading companies, including Admiral, GoCompare Group, Confused.com, and Centrica, as well as the University of South Wales and experts from the Office for National Statistics.