Welsh Deputy First Minister leuan Wyn Jones and Education Minister Jane Hutt visited the construction site of a new £2.5 million unit for the Teenage Cancer Trust at University Hospital Wales, on Tuesday 6 November, to mark the launch of the Economy & Transport and Children, Education & Lifelong Learning budgets over the next three years.

The centre will be a 12-bed unit for teenage cancer patients and will also provide accommodation for their parents while they receive treatment.

The Minister met with two construction apprentices at the site, including the Wales Construction Industry Apprentice of the Year, and representatives from Cowlin Construction Limited.


Cowlin is committed to addressing skill shortages within the construction industry and its Cardiff Office more than 200 staff including 20 apprentices and management trainees. It is actively involved in Construct Wales, which is jointly run by Constructionskills, the Sector Skills Council and the Welsh Assembly Government.

So far this financial year, Construct Wales has helped recruit more than 875 apprentices with a number of SMEs taking on applicants for the first time.

The Department for the Economy and Transport is working in close collaboration with the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills and Constructionskills to ensure that we maximise the opportunity for businesses to see apprenticeships as part of their key strategic objectives for long term sustainable growth.

(JM)