The establishment of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER) is a landmark piece of legislation. It marks the introduction of one of the most significant reforms to the architecture of our education system since devolution. Wales will be the first country in the UK to pioneer a single overarching regulatory, oversight and coordinating authority for tertiary education.
It comes at a time when the role of both further education and work-based learning to the future of our country is more important than ever. Whether it is recovering from the pandemic, shaping the future of work, adapting to an ageing society, or accelerating the transition to Net Zero, colleges are essential to every big challenge we face. In short, there is no path to a stronger, fairer, greener and bilingual Wales that doesn’t require a high-performing and resilient further education sector.
Public finances are now under significant pressure, making it more important than ever that we are clear about our priorities and we show real ambition to address the long-standing challenges we face.
