Businesses in Caerphilly County Borough are set to benefit from a chunk of funding to boost the skills of their employees.
The £19 million Upskilling at Work scheme, backed with £10.8m of European Union funding, will provide work-based training programmes to develop the skills and careers of more than 8,000 employees in companies across South East Wales.
The scheme will be led by Coleg Y Cymoedd and Coleg Gwent and is one of several that will launch across Wales as part of a £45m project.
The announcement follows more than £145m of EU funds that have already been invested in boosting the skills of people in Wales since 2015.
Mark Drakeford, Wales’ Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, said: “People are our greatest asset and investing vital EU funds so that people across Wales are equipped with the skills to fulfil their potential is a key ambition of the Welsh Government. As a pro-European Government this is another positive example of the benefits of UK membership of the EU.
“Between 2014 and 2020 Wales will benefit from some £800m EU funds to help people gain skills and employment opportunities, while £1bn is supporting businesses to grow, pioneering new research and innovation, and driving key infrastructure developments.
“Overall, including our rural programmes and direct payments to farm businesses, Wales benefits from around £500m of EU investment in the Welsh economy and labour market each year.“