The Colegau Cymru Principals’ Forum today met with the Minister for Education Jeremy Miles MS in a productive meeting to discuss the future of further education in Wales.
ColegauCymru Chair, Guy Lacey, formally welcomed the Minister to his new role and acknowledged the challenging year which has faced the sector. He also thanked Welsh Government colleagues for their continued support and guidance.
The primary focus of the meeting was the proposed reforms to Post-Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) and the concerns facing FE institutions. The Forum repeated its support for the idea of a Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER) Bill in principle but sought clarification and further detail in several areas. The Minister welcomed the opportunity to discuss concerns and called for continued further engagement in key issues over the coming months. The Minister also reinforced his commitment to lifelong learning as part of the draft Bill, which was welcomed by the Forum.
ColeguCymru Chief Executive Iestyn Davies said,
“We are grateful to the Minister for his time today and are encouraged by his clear appreciation of the value of further education, not only to learners, but also local communities and the wider economy. We look forward to continuing to work closely with him and Welsh Government colleagues in our shared goals of providing the best possible opportunities for all post-16 learners in Wales.
Guy Lacey closed by reinforcing the goals of the FE sector – with aspirations to help individuals and business recover from the damaging effects of Brexit and the Covid19 Pandemic and to provide a level playing field of opportunity for all post-16 learners in Wales that allows them to fulfil their potential.
