The Welsh government's finance secretary, Mark Drakeford, announced £1.4 million ($1.87 million) in European Union (EU) funding that will enable the Materials and Manufacturing Education Training and Learning (METaL) plan led by Swansea University's College of Engineering to help grow the advanced manufacturing sector. "The Welsh Government is committed to ensuring the Welsh workforce is equipped with the skills needed to drive growth and productivity,” said Drakeford. “This is another example of the importance of replacement funding for Wales following Brexit so that future investments can continue to support our ambitions for a sustainable and prosperous Welsh economy." The funding will help more than 400 people gain technical skills in new and emerging sectors, such as energy and power, smart manufacturing, materials engineering, circular economy, and corrosion/coatings technology. It will also support an extra 60 companies in north and west Wales, and in the south Wales valleys. "Securing this EU funding ensures the continuation of a fantastic vehicle for Swansea University to share its knowledge and experience to support Welsh businesses,” said Khalil Khan, METaL project manager. "The funding complements the investment of Welsh government in supporting Welsh businesses and will benefit industry by ensuring that its workforce has the correct technical knowledge to enable Welsh businesses to compete in a global marketplace.” The plan aims to support more than 800 people by the time it is completed in 2022.