Midwives’ union petitions for jobs for Welsh graduates
The Royal College of Midwives has launched a petition calling for funded jobs for newly qualified staff in Wales, saying 63 graduate midwives remain without posts. RCM Cymru’s campaign, announced on 14 October, asks the Welsh Government to connect investment in training with employment opportunities. The union argues that graduates are being left unable to enter the profession while maternity services face staffing pressures.
Midwifery graduate allocation, 25 August 2026
- Graduates who had secured roles
- 69
- Graduates still without roles
- 63
What the petition asks for
The campaign seeks routes into permanent full-time employment for graduates who want them, funded safe staffing levels, transparent workforce plans and support to retain experienced staff. It also calls for training decisions to be linked to future workforce need. The petition is hosted on Megaphone and linked directly from the union’s release. It is a union campaign addressed to ministers, rather than a petition on the Senedd’s platform. Signing it does not trigger the Senedd’s signature thresholds or guarantee a parliamentary debate.
The NHS workforce explanation
Health Education and Improvement Wales described the midwifery position as particularly challenging in an update dated 25 August. It said 69 midwifery graduates had secured roles and 63 remained without them. Those are dated allocation figures, rather than a new October count. HEIW said a small number of additional roles were expected during the autumn, but were unlikely to be enough for everyone seeking employment. It pointed to lower staff turnover, fewer vacancies than anticipated when training places were planned, and financial constraints. The body also explained why a vacancy does not automatically mean a job for a new graduate: many posts are at higher bands, in specialist areas or require previous experience. It said partners would keep identifying suitable opportunities and supporting graduates. The new development is the union’s petition and renewed funding demand. Its release does not announce that extra posts have been funded or that every graduate has secured a role.