FIRST Minister Mark Drakeford visited the set of Netflix series Sex Education and declared Welsh Government support for the show's fourth season.

The award-winng show has been running since 2019 and all seasons have been filmed in Wales.

The Welsh Government has financially supported two of the last three seasons of the show through Creative Media, a Welsh Government agency set up in 2020 to support the creative industries in Wales.

Since it's inception, Creative Media has provided £12.8 million for production funding to 19 projects, which in turn have generated more than £139 million into the Welsh economy.

All previous seasons have been given logistical support through Wales Screen service.

On the set, Mr Drakeford said: "I am pleased we have been able to back Sex Education, one of the biggest success stories for the industry in Wales and one of Netflix’s biggest hits globally.

"The opportunities provided by the production, shows the range of schemes and programmes available through the Young Person’s Guarantee.

"Young people hold the key to Wales’ future success and there will be no lost generation here as a result of the pandemic."

Sex Education has been a remarkable hit for the country and has provided not only economic benefits, but job opportunities.

Since the show began, more than 60 trainee roles were created and the upcoming season has created 11 trainee roles.

Several people who were employed as trainees on previous seasons were able to get roles as full-time crew members.

This can be attributed to the Young Person's Guarantee, which means that all supported productions must commit to providing paid trainee placements for Wales based trainees.

One of the apprentices, Charles Strider from the CRIW Shared Apprenticeship Scheme said: “This is an opportunity not only to learn on a production but will also open the door for me to develop my career over the years to come. 

"I want to stay in Wales and continue being a part of this growing industry that I’m so excited to be involved in."

Jamie Campbell, creative director at Eleven and executive producer of Sex Education said: “We are delighted that Sex Education is returning to Wales this year for its much-anticipated fourth series.

"The country is home to some of the world’s most breath-taking landscapes, which create a memorable and unique TV experience for viewers.

“Through the filming of Sex Education, we’ll work alongside Netflix and the Welsh Government to support young creatives through apprenticeships and training.

"In turn, we hope to drive growth across Wales’ creative industries and promote the country as a filming destination of choice.”