Welsh Conservatives pledge to refund tuition fees for students who become doctors, nurses or teachers

The Welsh Conservatives have unveiled an election pledge to refund the tuition fees of students who become doctors, nurses or teachers after graduating.

The party said that the plan would boost recruitment in Wales’ public services after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The promise would only apply to those who work in the Welsh NHS, or as teachers in Welsh schools, for five years after their studies.

Also included is a pledge to cut tuition fees in half for Welsh students studying STEM and modern foreign language subjects at Welsh universities “in recognition of their value to the Welsh economy”.

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader, Andrew RT Davies, added that Covid-19 had devastated communities across Wales, with young people being one of the hardest hit.

“But let’s not forget that pre-Covid, young people have been badly let down by Labour for decades,” he said.

“Welsh Conservatives recognise that young people are our future, and that we can’t afford another lost generation.

“We will correct Labour’s blunders by putting young people at the heart of our plan to get Wales on the road to recovery and boost our public services.

“Our ambitious plan including the refunding of tuition fees to those students who commit their future to our frontline public services such as the NHS will help us build a better Wales.”

‘Ambitious’

The plan for Wales’ young people includes:

• Delivering 150,000 apprenticeships by 2026
• Refunding tuition fees for those who choose to work for at least five years as doctors or nurses in the Welsh NHS, or as teachers in Welsh Schools after their studies
• Ensuring all schools, colleges and universities have mental health services for learners to access
• Scrapping the Welsh Baccalaureate to allow pupils to focus on GCSEs, A-levels and their vocational equivalents
• Helping young people access education, training and employment with free bus travel and discounted rail travel for 16-24 year olds

Commenting, Welsh Conservative spokesperson for young people and lead South East Wales candidate, Laura Anne Jones said that the pandemic had exposed the many challenges young people have been facing.

“And with normality on the horizon, Welsh Conservatives have wasted no time in putting together an ambitious plan to deliver real change for young people in Wales,” she said.

“Our package of measures will generate exciting new opportunities for young people, from delivering 150,000 apprenticeships by 2026 to also helping young people access education, training and employment with free bus travel and discounted rail travel for 16-24 year olds.

“Our bold plan will undo Labour’s huge mistakes where, frankly, young people have been forgotten.

“Only the Welsh Conservatives can build a better Wales for our young people by creating more jobs, better hospitals and first-class schools.”