Policy Forum for Wales

For booking-related queries or information on speaking please email us at info@forumsupport.co.uk, or contact us: +44 (0)1344 864796.

Next steps for post-16 education, training and skills in Wales

Morning, Wednesday, 13th December 2023


This conference will examine the future of the post-compulsory education and training sector in Wales.


It will be an opportunity to assess a range of significant developments, including the impact of the new Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER) following its establishment in September.


Delegates will examine priorities for the Commission’s first strategic plan, set to be operational from April 2024, and how it should manage its responsibilities, looking at funding and oversight of the FE and HE sectors in Wales, as well as adult learning and apprenticeships and training.


Key stakeholders and policymakers will discuss the implementation of Government’s action plans for Net Zero Skills and Cymraeg 2050: Welsh language strategy, considering priorities for training and support for green skills acquisition, and the way forward for availability of Welsh-medium tertiary education.


Attendees will also consider priorities for promoting equality of opportunity, overcoming challenges Wales is facing in mitigating the effects of socio-economic circumstances on ambition and outcomes, and addressing potential barriers to uptake of FE, HE, training and work-based learning initiatives.


Further sessions will look at latest thinking on strategies and options for strengthening links between education, training and Welsh business, aligning employer and national skills needs, and equipping learners with skills that will be essential for a more automated and decarbonised future labour market.


We are pleased to be able to include a keynote session with Professor Ellen Hazelkorn, whose review Towards 2023, A framework for building a world-class post-compulsory education system for Wales led to the establishment of the CTER.


Overall, areas for discussion include:

  • strategic vision: progress with implementation of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 and establishment of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research
  • the Commission: next steps for unifying the funding, regulation and general oversight of the post-16 education and training sector under a single organisation
  • investment: funding priorities for innovation and research in the tertiary education and training sector - priority areas for targeting funding - options for increased collaboration in research
  • meeting the needs of learners: adopting a student-centred post-16 education system - options for encouraging lifelong learning - improving access to education and training for all
  • employers: increasing employer engagement with education and training - fostering partnerships
  • Welsh-medium education: increasing provision of Welsh language materials that enable learning throughout the post-compulsory education system and into the workplace

The conference will be an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who are due to attend from Department for the Economy, NI; Department of Education, NI; DESNZ; DfE; DWP; IPO; and the Welsh Government.



Keynote Speakers

Professor Ellen Hazelkorn

Joint Managing Partner, BH Associates, Dublin

Elaine Carlile

Strategic Engagement Manager, Qualifications Wales

Keynote Speakers

Professor Ellen Hazelkorn

Joint Managing Partner, BH Associates, Dublin

Elaine Carlile

Strategic Engagement Manager, Qualifications Wales

Speakers

Angharad Lloyd Beynon

Policy, Stakeholder and Partnerships Manager, City & Guilds

Nkechi Allen Dawson

Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing Manager, Coleg Gwent

Rachel Jones

Director of Work Based Learning, Gower College Swansea

Yana Williams

Chief Executive, Coleg Cambria

Lisa Mytton

Strategic Director, National Training Federation Wales

Cormac Gebruers

Group External Affairs Manager, DP Energy

Jamie Insole

Senior Policy and Political Officer, University and College Union Cymru

Sue Pember

Director of Policy and External Relations, Holex

Caroline Rawson

Chief Executive Officer, SNAP Cymru

Rachel Edmonds-Naish

Assistant Principal, Coleg y Cymoedd