COLLEGES in Wales are building their links with China with a new initiative launched this week by First Minister Carwyn Jones.

The Wales-Chongqing Consortium involves Welsh colleges developing partnerships with businesses and institutions in Chongqing, including technical and vocational schools.

The consortium will promote and develop international student recruitment and specialist vocational courses, and look to develop skills and training courses for Chinese companies.

It has a dedicated official based at the Welsh Government's office in Chongqing and is managed by ColegauCymru, an organisation representing all further education colleges in Wales.

Mr Jones launched the initiative on Tuesday during his visit to the municipality, one of China's major economic and industrial centres with an estimated population of 30m.

He also unveiled a new scheme to make Wales' 10 campus-based universities more accessible to the growing Chinese market.

The Wales Higher Education Training Consortium will pool the knowledge and expertise of Welsh academia to meet the needs of partners in China.

The First Minister said: The Wales-Chongqing Consortium will enable the member colleges in Wales to expand their work with technical and vocational schools in Chongqing, sharing their expertise, advice and experience with their counterparts in China.

The appointment of a dedicated member of staff in Chongqing will provide an extra boost to partnerships and friendships that already exist between colleges in Wales and here in China. I wish it every success for the future.

Mr Jones added: I am delighted to be here to witness the launch of the Wales Higher Education Training Consortium. This is the first time that all 10 universities of Wales have come together to create a single, comprehensive offer of training to any part of the world.