And just like that, Stage 1 of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill is complete. It’s been a long journey to this point from the publication of the Hazelkorn report, six years ago this month – through multiple consultations and a draft Bill. And with the general principles of the Bill supported unanimously by
This post originally appeared on Wonkhe. In Wales, we’re not used to seeing Wales feature heavily in UK-wide news coverage of major English policy announcements. The blurring of lines between what is and isn’t devolved is a common frustration for wonks in Wales and one which finds a regular outlet on Twitter accounts such as
This blog appeared on IWA for National Apprenticeship Week. People often talk about the distinction between academic and vocational education, with academic study being seen as more theoretical and associated with universities, and vocational study being more occupation-focused and associated with work-based learning or further education providers. But this divide fails to accurately reflect the
This article originally appeared in the Western Mail on Thursday 13 December. Recently the headlines have been dominated by Brexit and what deal, if any, we are likely to have. The impact of Brexit on higher and further education was recently the focus of an inquiry by the Children, Young People and Education Committee at
This post originally appeared on Wonkhe. Many of us working in higher education in the UK find ourselves preoccupied with what the post-18 review of education will or won’t recommend. In Wales we’re also paying close attention to the implementation and impact of our own recent review of higher education funding chaired by Ian Diamond. Initial
This post originally appeared on Wonkhe. In 2016, Ellen Hazelkorn’s review of the oversight of post-compulsory education in Wales was published. At its core it included the recommendations that the Welsh Government develop an overarching vision for the post-compulsory education and training (PCET) system in Wales, and establish a new authority with oversight of the
This post originally appeared on the IWA’s Click on Wales. This National Apprenticeship Week comes at a time when the way apprenticeships are developed and delivered across the UK is changing and diverging. For us in Wales, this year will see the first degree apprentices start their apprenticeships. This is a big step. Much has
This post originally appeared on Universities Wales. Post-16 education in Wales has undergone significant changes over the past ten years with mergers, reconfiguration, regulatory changes, and new legislation for further and higher education. With the publication of the white paper on the reform of post-compulsory education in Wales there will soon be further changes to how post-16
This post was originally published on the IWA’s Click on Wales. What is an apprenticeship? Such an apparently simple question encompasses a complicated and often difficult-to-know landscape, a landscape that is still shifting. Many people will understand that an apprenticeship offers a mix of on the job training, paid employment, and formal study, but what
It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that breaks are essential to carers and those that they care for, and that it’s in everyone’s interests to ensure carers get the support they need. We know that problems with the carer contribute to readmission into hospital in 62% of cases where there is a carer. We