Cefin Campbell MS, Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education
Higher education is one of Wales’s greatest national assets: educating our future workforce, driving research and innovation, supporting public services, strengthening communities and contributing to our culture and language. However, our universities are facing serious challenges that demand serious action – bold, structural reform, rather than incremental fixes.
Today I have published the Terms of Reference for a broad and comprehensive review of the funding and organisation of higher education.
The terms of reference reflects both my ambition for higher education and the seriousness of the situation. It will examine both the sustainability of institutions and how students are supported to access and succeed in higher education. It will also work at pace with an interim report on student support delivered in the Summer of 2027 and a full final report in the following winter.
This review will be commissioned by Welsh Government, but will be independent. It will be led by a highly experienced and independent chair supported by a small expert panel. I will announce the name of the chair and the composition of the panel in due course. The review will begin its work in the early autumn. The panel will consist of experts in higher education policy from inside and outside of Wales.
The views and engagement of stakeholders will be vital. A stakeholder advisory group will be established to ensure a broad range of voices are heard and enable them to feed in important evidence, while the review remains independent and evidence-led.
I see this review as an opportunity to think boldly about universities’ future contribution to Wales and ensure public investment delivers the greatest benefit to learners, communities and the nation.
We want to better support and stretch our learners in schools and colleges, including those learners who are disadvantaged or underrepresented, to fulfil their potential including going on to higher education in Wales.
In relation to Academi Seren, our ambition is to develop a new national learner progression programme which brings together the strongest elements of Academi Seren and the Reaching Wider Programme, currently funded by Medr, into a single, coherent offer for learners across Wales.
I will work with Medr and key stakeholders to develop proposals for a core progression offer available to all learners in Welsh and English, including encouragement to explore study and career opportunities in Wales, targeted support for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds through the integration of Reaching Wider, whilst retaining and building on the stretch and challenge elements of Seren
Existing Seren and Reaching Wider arrangements will continue while proposals are developed, and I will provide Members with a further update soon, including indicative timescales for implementation.
This statement is being issued during recess to keep Members informed. Should Members wish me to make a further statement or to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns I would be happy to do so.