About the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER)
The Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER) will be a new arm’s length body responsible for funding and overseeing post-16 education and research from August 2024.
This will include further education, higher education, apprenticeships, school sixth forms, adult and work-based learning and government funded research and innovation.
This will be the first-time funding, planning and regulation of post-16 education and research will be managed and coordinated by one body. As part of the change, the Commission will take over functions from many post-16 education areas currently within the Welsh Government, and all the functions of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW).
The Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act which became law on the 8 September 2022, establishes the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, a new Welsh Government sponsored body, and will dissolve the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) once operational.
The Commission for Tertiary Education and Research will be established in September 2023 and will be operational in August 2024, when it will become responsible for the strategy, funding and oversight of the following sectors:
- further education (FE), including colleges and school sixth-forms
- higher education (HE), including research and innovation
- adult education and adult community learning
- apprenticeships and training
The strategic vision outlines the vision for post-compulsory education and training sector in Wales. The establishment of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research is essential to realising this vision.
Responsibilities of the Commission
- Take a whole system approach to research and innovation funding with an ability to provide funding to a wide range of HE and FE institutions.
- Protect the interests of learners, ensuring vocational and academic learning are equally valued.
- Align education and training more closely with the needs of employers.
- Monitor performance and governance whilst protecting the academic freedom of institutions.
- Monitor and promote improvement in education and training providers.
- Increase the availability of Welsh-medium tertiary education and to encourage individuals to learn through the medium of Welsh.