, Minister for Education and
Welsh Language: This is the first statement of strategic
priorities for tertiary education and research and innovation
published under section 13 of the Tertiary Education and Research
(Wales) Act 2022 and reflects Welsh Government priorities on a
cross-government basis including both Education and Economy
department policy. It is envisaged the statement of priorities
and the strategic plan that the Commission will need to produce
to address it applying for a timeframe of five years.
The Commission for Tertiary Education and Research must respond
to the Statement by preparing a strategic plan setting
out how it will address the priorities contained in
this statement. That strategic plan must also set out how the
Commission will discharge its strategic duties as detailed in the
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022. The Commission
will consult on its plan before submitting it to the Welsh
Ministers for approval and undertaking work to implement the
plan.
This Statement is published in the context of a challenging
budgetary situation and we anticipate that the Commission’s plan
will reflect this. Separately from this Statement, the
Commission’s funding will be set out in an annual funding letter.
There are five substantive priorities in the Statement and they
are not listed ordinally in terms of importance.
The first priority concerns making learning as flexible as
possible, increasing adult learning and making sure that basic
skills needs are addressed so that Wales is a nation of second
chances. The second priority is to ensure that the tertiary
system is one of high-quality that strives for excellence whilst
keeping a focus on widening participation, reducing attainment
gaps and improving equity and diversity in the system.
Putting the learner at the heart of education is the third
priority ensuring their voices are heard and that they are
supported during their time in education. To reach their full
potential learners need to be aware of all the different pathways
available to them, including flexible and part-time learning.
These pathways should be available through the medium of Welsh.
Fourthly, the continuing contribution of the tertiary education
system to the economy and society will require collaboration:
collaboration in research, collaboration with industry and
government, collaboration to ensure provision is aligned with the
needs of employers and collaboration to ensure continuation of
the great work done by our providers and their learners in
contributing to the places in which they are based.
The final priority recognises that establishing the Commission
will be a significant undertaking during the life of this first
statement and by including it as a priority provides space for
the Commission to do this work, develop its relationship with
providers and, for the first time, establish data systems that
give a picture of the whole tertiary system rather than its
discrete sectors.
There is also a look to the future in how this data and how the
Commission will fund the sector can be used to steer the system
strategically with collaboration delivering clearer learner
pathways and a national offer that reduces duplication between
neighbouring institutions.
We are on the threshold of a new and exciting future for tertiary
education in Wales and this Statement of Strategic Priorities
provides the direction needed for the Commission to take us over
that threshold and into that future.
