Vikki Howells MS, Minister for Further and Higher Education
Today, I am pleased to publish the Tertiary Education Participation and Sustainability evidence paper that sets out the key challenges and opportunities facing the sector in Wales, together with a call for submissions from stakeholders.
The paper identifies five major challenges facing the sector:
- Participation and equality of opportunity – ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, can access and succeed in further and higher education.
- Demographic change and lifelong learning – responding to an ageing population and supporting learning throughout life.
- Competition and collaboration – supporting strong partnership working across the sector.
- Financial sustainability – ensuring institutions can deliver high-quality education and research on a secure financial footing.
- Delivering for communities and the economy of the future – aligning education with the needs of Welsh communities and the evolving economy.
I am inviting stakeholders to reflect on the challenges outlined in the paper, and respond to the questions posed, so that together we can build a thorough and robust evidence base for future policy. We would like to hear from tertiary education providers, partners, learners, and staff, as well as businesses, public service providers, think tanks, and other interested parties.
This call for submissions forms part of an ongoing sector-wide conversation. To support this process, I have convened a Ministerial Advisory Group, bringing together representatives from across the Welsh tertiary education sector, and will be engaging with stakeholders directly over the next few months.
This is our opportunity to build on our progress, to lay the groundwork for the next chapter, and to consolidate a comprehensive evidence base on which to deliver a programme of policy reform.
The evidence paper and call for submissions can be accessed here: The future of tertiary education in Wales: five challenges and calls for submission | GOV.WALES