The Education Workforce Council (EWC) has today (31 July 2024) published its latest data on the education workforce in Wales.

The independent, professional regulator’s Annual Education Workforce Statistics for Wales 2024 is the most comprehensive source of intelligence on those who work in schools, further education, youth work, and work-based learning in Wales. The data is sourced from the EWC’s Register of Education Practitioners.

For the first time, this year’s report contains information on teachers and learning support staff who work in independent schools and colleges. This follows a new government requirement in May 2023 requiring their staff to register with the EWC and have their conduct and practice regulated.

Effective recruitment to the education professions, and the subsequent retention of these practitioners, remains a priority not only in Wales, but across the world. Workforce numbers in Wales have remained fairly static compared to 2023, however there has been a small decline in school learning support workers.

EWC Chief Executive, Hayden Llewellyn said “We are pleased to present our annual snapshot of the education workforce in Wales. We hope that it will continue to continue to assist the discussion and policy position around important education workforce topics including recruitment, retention, equality, and the Welsh language.”

The EWC will also be hosting a policy briefing event in November to look more in depth at the data and to understand any emerging trends. Information on this event, including how to book, will be available shortly via the EWC’s channels.

The full Annual Education Workforce Statistics for Wales 2024 is available to read via the EWC website.