The Education Workforce Council (EWC) has published its Annual education workforce statistics for Wales 2022.

The data is based on information from the EWC’s Register of Education Practitioners and provides valuable insights into the make-up of the education workforce, such as age, ethnicity, gender, as well as qualifications and subjects.

The latest set of data has revealed that the make-up of classrooms in Wales is continuing to change.

The number of teaching assistants and other support staff registered to work in state schools increased by over 10% between 2021 and 2022. The number of registered school teachers also saw a small rise (1.4%). In other settings, such as further education, work-based learning, and in youth work, staff numbers have remained more stable. The trend of greater numbers of staff providing vital support to teachers mirrors a pattern that has been seen in other professions such as in health, social work, and the legal world.

EWC Chief Executive, Hayden Llewellyn said “The second year of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a high demand for additional staff in our schools, particularly through supply agencies. This was to cover absences caused by COVID-19 and to support the recovery.

“Since the start of the new academic year (2022-23), the number of people registering to work in a support capacity has remained strong and is a positive sign. These staff are an important cog in ensuring that schools run smoothly and effectively”.

“It is it important that we have a full understanding of our workforce in Wales so that employers and policy makers can plan ahead and respond to any national and global recruitment and retention challenges”.

Both the full Annual education workforce statistics for Wales 2022, and its key findings are available to read via the EWC website.