Why I am Asking You to Help Shape the Future of Tertiary Education in Wales

Tertiary education drives innovation and creates opportunities for people and communities across Wales. It unlocks the potential to shape futures and is vital in creating a more prosperous Wales. Yet, it faces challenges that must be addressed.

This is why last week I published “The Future of Tertiary Education in Wales: Five Challenges and Call for Submissions“, and why I am urging everyone involved in further and higher education to contribute their evidence and expertise. The submissions you provide will directly enable the Welsh Government to develop policy grounded in good quality evidence.

What We Have Achieved

I am proud of what we have accomplished during this Senedd term. We established Medr, which regulates and funds the post-16 sector, and Wales continues to lead the way with a progressive approach to higher education student support. We have also expanded the Education Maintenance Allowance and increased the Welsh Government Learning Grant. These measures are ensuring that financial barriers do not hold any learners back from opportunities and development.

We have already started a significant process of evidence gathering and research into many of these challenges, but we need to look further at our approach to higher and further education policy. The world is changing and our tertiary education system must change with it.

The Five Challenges We Face

Through this evidence paper, I have identified five interconnected challenges that the Welsh tertiary education system faces.

Participation and equality of opportunity remain a key concern. Only 71% of Welsh 22 to 30-year-olds are qualified to at least level 3, in comparison to 79% in England and 82% in Scotland. Inequalities based on socio-economic background, gender and disability continue to influence who accesses education and who does not. Welsh boys have the lowest levels of higher education participation across all UK nations. These statistics represent unrealised potential that needs to be addressed.

Demographic change presents both challenge and opportunity. It is projected that there will be fewer younger people whilst the population ages, so we need to ensure that there is sufficient and accessible lifelong learning. The tertiary education system must have the capability to provide this. We do, however, already have strong foundations to build upon as part-time learner numbers in further education have increased for the first time in over a decade, and a higher proportion of Welsh higher education students already study part-time compared to the rest of the UK.

Competition and collaboration pressures pose a risk to the availability of tertiary education across Wales. Whilst further education colleges are experiencing growing demand, the number of learners attending school sixth forms is declining. Universities are also facing lower student numbers, which has caused reduced course provision risking “subject cold spots” across Wales.

Financial sustainability concerns are worrying across the sector. Six of our eight universities reported underlying deficits in 2023/24. Colleges are facing increasing financial challenges with costs rising more than their core grants. Meanwhile, learners themselves are facing cost-of-living pressures with 68% of higher education students now working during term time. This is double the figure from 2021.

Delivering for communities and the economy requires better alignment between the skills and qualifications education provides, and labour market needs. Vocational pathways are growing in popularity, but their provision across Wales remains uneven.

Why Your Voice Matters

I am inviting tertiary education providers, learners and staff representatives, businesses, public service providers, sector experts, and other interested parties both inside and outside Wales to submit evidence on the challenges that we have presented in this paper and respond to the questions posed.

Everybody in Wales, regardless of their background, should be empowered to learn and train throughout their lives. Tertiary education should be built on collaboration, be financially sustainable and provide research and innovation that delivers for the people of Wales.

This is why I need to hear from those with frontline experience and sector expertise. We aim to build on what we have already achieved, and with your contributions, you can help us make that a reality.

By Vikki Howells, Welsh Minister for Further and Higher Education