Minister for Further and Higher Education, : Yesterday I was pleased to
meet with Vice Chancellors from universities across Wales as part
of the Welsh Government's commitment to ensuring regular, robust,
and proactive engagement with the higher education sector.
Reforming the tertiary education system to ensure it continues to
offer learners a rich, diverse, and high-quality experience
whilst safeguarding its long-term sustainability is my key
priority.
Yesterday's roundtable continued the discussion on how the Welsh
Government, Medr, and the sector work together to deliver
transformational change. We were joined by representatives from
Universities Wales and Medr.
I am already undertaking an evaluation of the Diamond Reforms to
Higher Education student finance, the plan for which was
published on 2 July Diamond reforms to student
finance: evaluation plan 2024 | GOV.WALES. The aim of the
research is to provide evidence relating to widening access to
higher education, strengthening part-time provision, and
strengthening postgraduate provision. I will ensure that
stakeholders have the opportunity to engage and input into this
research. My officials will be holding a workshop with higher
education stakeholders in the autumn.
Enabling and encouraging collaboration is another of my priority
areas and is essential to ensuring that there is appropriate
provision across Wales. To that end, there were updates on two
areas of activity identified at the last roundtable.
Firstly, I tasked Medr and my officials with working with the
Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on potential ways forward
to support collaboration. As a result of the productive
engagement with the CMA by my officials, UK Government and Medr
working together we were able to discuss the benefits and
barriers in detail, including the recent announcement from the
CMA which set out examples of where providers can confidently
collaborate. It was also helpful to receive an update from
Universities Wales on its work with Universities UK on the
‘Transformation and Efficiency Taskforce Report: Towards a New
Era of Collaboration'.
Secondly, I requested that Medr undertake a review of Higher
Education demand, provision, and subject distribution in Wales. I
want this work to provide a robust data foundation and enhanced
insight into the Higher Education landscape. Medr gave an update
on how this work is progressing and a report is expected in the
autumn.
It is essential that Medr works closely with the sector,
particularly in the areas of governance and risk management. Medr
provided an update on key areas of work, including publication of
its Strategic Plan and its Operational Plan, which together
provide more detail on how it will drive reform. There was also
reference to Medr's consultation on the regulatory regime for
tertiary education and the Welsh Government's consultation on the
proposed approach to the automatic designation of higher
education courses for the purposes of student support.
I was also pleased to provide a progress update on work to
increase participation in all forms of tertiary education, which
remains a priority for me.
I have previously set out the priority areas in working with UK
Government on their plans for higher education reform. My
officials and I are in regular dialogue with the UK Government,
and I gave an update on my recent conversations on critical
policy areas as they relate to Wales, including the recent White
Paper on immigration, the industrial strategy, and plans for
post-16 education and skills.
I am mindful that this continues to be a challenging time for the
higher education sector in Wales and across the UK, which is
unsettling for staff and students. It was essential to have
dedicated time during the roundtable to discuss the importance of
a social partnership approach and to reaffirm the Welsh
Government commitment to these principles.
More than ever, I believe early, continued and supportive
engagement with all stakeholders is a fundamental responsibility
and I was encouraged to see all our universities and colleges at
Medr's ‘Promoting Collaboration with Trade Unions' conference
last week. I look forward to seeing progress across the tertiary
system in this area.
We must not lose sight of the bigger picture and wider
opportunities. Our universities are crucial to our ambitions for
improving public services, growing the economy, promoting
research and innovation and enabling the wellbeing of future
generations. Fostering links with cross-government priorities,
including continuing to support and promote the Welsh language
will help enrich our communities and grow the economy.
I am grateful to everyone for making the time to join the meeting
and for the open and honest conversation. I look forward to
continued engagement across the sector and will provide further
updates in the autumn.
