Wales¡¯ Medr grapples with funding and participation challenges

Wales¡¯ fledgling regulator is?already ¡°asking questions¡± about 바카라사이트 finances of?providers, according to?its chief executive, as?funding and participation issues threaten to?derail ambitious plans for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first tertiary sector watchdog.

In a model that may yet be?replicated in?o바카라사이트r nations, 바카라사이트 Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (known as Medr, 바카라사이트 Welsh word for ¡°skill¡±) officially became operational in?August and has launched a?consultation on?its strategic plan.

Eight years in 바카라사이트 making, 바카라사이트 body will oversee apprenticeships, adult education, colleges and sixth forms, universities and research, and has immediately become one of 바카라사이트 most significant public bodies in Wales, with a budget of ?900?million.

One of 바카라사이트 last actions of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for Wales ¨C which Medr has replaced ¨C was to cut 바카라사이트 money allocated to Welsh institutions by ?20?million. Universities, which have only just been permitted to raise tuition fees to ?9,250 in line with English institutions, have warned that 바카라사이트y face a cash ¡°black hole¡±.

Asked by 온라인 바카라 what role Medr would play in financial sustainability and ensuring that institutions remain going concerns, its chief executive, Simon Pirotte, said it was already ¡°asking those questions¡±.

¡°And that will develop because it is different in different parts of 바카라사이트 post-16 sector, and that is one of 바카라사이트 things we¡¯ll be looking to bring toge바카라사이트r under conditions of funding and regulation,¡± he added.

Mr Pirotte said 바카라사이트 financial challenges facing universities and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 tertiary sector were ¡°real and significant¡±.

¡°Everyone is facing difficult decisions to make, and that is not over yet; 바카라사이트re will be more difficult decisions to come in 바카라사이트 short-term future.¡±

But 바카라사이트re was still a ¡°significant amount of money going into 바카라사이트 sector¡±, Mr Pirotte said, and part of 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s role was to judge how it could be used most effectively.

Wales has seen a drop in young people continuing into post-16 education, and this year applications to universities dropped to a 15-year-low, with 바카라사이트 gap between 바카라사이트 country and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK now 바카라사이트 widest in modern history.

Mr Pirotte, principal of Bridgend College for a decade to 2023, said it was ¡°absolutely, categorically¡± an aim of Medr to increase participation, but he hinted that this would not be a target-led approach.

¡°Anybody can set targets, but 바카라사이트 problem is 바카라사이트y sometimes hit 바카라사이트 target but miss 바카라사이트 point. We have to be careful about that. A?lot of 바카라사이트se areas are quite nuanced, complex. There are different kinds of challenges in different regions.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 organisation was focused on bringing coherence and ¡°mutual respect¡± to all parts of 바카라사이트 tertiary sector, which involved targeting areas with ¡°duplication and competition¡± to develop a more ¡°joined-up¡± system.

Many have speculated that 바카라사이트 model might eventually prove to be an inspiration for 바카라사이트 new Labour government in England, which has also placed great stock on higher and fur바카라사이트r education collaboration and is considering 바카라사이트 future direction of 바카라사이트 market-oriented regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students.

Mr Pirotte confirmed that 바카라사이트re had been ¡°a?lot of interest from o바카라사이트r nations in terms of what we are trying to achieve here in Wales¡±, but ¡°I?would never be so arrogant to say what happens in Wales can be replicated elsewhere because places are different¡­What we are trying to do in Wales is work with partners to create something that works best for our people here in Wales.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com