Commission for Tertiary Education and Research newsletter: October 2023

New timeline for the establishment of register of providers of higher education in Wales

We recently published a consultation on three sets of draft Regulations pursuant to the implementation of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022. This will be the first of several steps towards the establishment by the Commission of a register of providers of higher education in Wales.

Following feedback from stakeholders most affected by these changes, the register is now scheduled to be established in July 2026 and the associated regulatory arrangements fully implemented in academic year 2027 to 2028. This will allow sufficient time to facilitate a smooth and effective transition from the existing arrangements to the new registration system. The Commission’s development of the new system, and its consultation with those affected will be expected to start during 2024 and 2025.

Chief Executive Officer’s early reflections

Simon Pirotte took up post as Chief Executive Officer of the newly established Commission on the 4^th of September 2023.

Here he shares reflections from his initial weeks in post:

It’s 35 days since the Establishment Team and I started. It has flown by, and we have accomplished a lot, and there’s a great deal left to do.

Everyone is mindful of the need for a smooth transition to the Commission going ‘live’ on 1 April, and we are working flat out to ensure that happens.

There is a flurry of activity behind the scenes for us as we establish new IT systems, HR processes, and everything else that a new organisation needs. One exciting update is that the process for Welsh Government and HEFCW staff to match into their posts in the new Commission’s initial structure is currently underway, and will conclude soon.

Last month the Welsh Government confirmed that the Minister has decided that the location of the Commission’s headquarters will be 2 Capital Quarter in Cardiff. I want to build a collaborative office environment, and hope to welcome many of you to our vibrant new offices to work together as we build toward an exciting future for post-16 education in Wales.

I have started organising meetings with key senior stakeholders, if you haven’t heard from me yet and want to discuss the Commission’s development, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me or my team. I want the Commission to be open and collaborative, and that starts with me!

On Friday, 6 October we also held the inaugural board meeting of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, which was a major milestone.

The first seven Board Members joined me and the Chair, Julie Lydon, and Deputy Chair, David Sweeney. The Board has a wealth of expertise and will meet regularly between now and April. Soon, the Welsh Government will be recruiting for additional board members with an extra emphasis on bringing diverse experiences and a diversity of ideas.

I look forward to speaking with you all regularly in the next few months as we work towards April, and in the longer-term towards building an outstanding, joined-up post-16 education system for Wales.

Things you may have missed

• Wondering how the establishment of the Commission might impact your sector specifically? A set of themed factsheets aims to provide a succinct overview of how the establishment of the Commission will affect different parts of the education sector. The aim of the factsheets is to provide customised information to various groups of stakeholders, enabling them to effectively communicate the reforms within their networks. To achieve this, the factsheets have been created with a thematic focus rather than a broad approach, allowing stakeholders to grasp how the reforms directly relate to their specific situations. We hope this will enable you to communicate the changes in a concise way.
• A consultation seeking stakeholders’ views on the amendment to the Digital Economy Act 2017 in respect of the Commission was launched earlier this month and closes on the 22nd of December. We would be grateful if you could circulate the link to any interested parties.