Written - Foundation Degrees

As I indicated in my Statement to the Assembly on 29 June, we need to build a higher education system that is inclusive, accessible and responsive to the needs of Wales. Integral to this is the need for higher education to play a significantly greater role in equipping the Welsh economy and its workforce with the skills needed to innovate and compete. This requirement-which will involve the engagement, commitment and collective planning of both Higher and Further Education Institutions - is central to the delivery objectives set out in For our Future.

In my Remit Letter, I instructed The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) to deliver a coordinated FE and HE responsiveness to employer and workforce need which I expected to be particularly focused on the planning and provision of foundation degrees.

To this end, I am pleased to announce that HEFCW is incorporating foundation degrees as an integral part of its Regional Planning Framework.  Additionally, this will be underpinned by a Foundation Degree Policy, to be published by HEFCW at the end of July.  This strategic approach towards the planning, development and delivery of foundation degrees will provide a crucial contribution towards meeting Wales’ economic skills needs and satisfy priorities contained in For Our Future.  

In line with the principles enumerated in For our Future, I  expect HEFCW to ensure that foundation degrees are delivered through a coherently planned regional framework, which clearly meets identified employer need, eliminates nugatory competition and provides seamless progression opportunities for learners. To be effective there also needs to be a central focus on employer involvement with FE and HE providers to ensure provision meets identified skills needs with no gaps. Importantly this should include with the community and voluntary sector employers as appropriate.

Finally I expect foundation degree delivery to focus on priority sectors, or provide evidence of need for the provision in order for providers to receive public funding.

This strategy will ensure that Foundation degrees form an important element of the regional dimension to higher education both as options for pathways within the 14-19 learning partnerships and as progression for those in employment.  It will enable greater scope for learning in progressive steps and, in doing so, greater utilisation of the credit and qualifications framework for Wales (CQFW).

As part of this strategic approach, the power for the Privy Council to grant a further education institution in Wales the competence to award foundation degrees will be commenced in October 2010.  Institutions that apply for these powers will be subject to a rigorous assessment by the Quality Assurance Agency against stringent Government-set criteria.  These Criteria, and an accompanying Companion Guide for institutions will be published when the power comes into force and will ensure the quality, brand and integrity of the higher education qualification is protected.  

I should like to emphasise that Foundation Degree Awarding Powers have always been intended as a means for further education institutions to be able to rapidly respond to identified, unmet employer need, and not as a means of replacing existing collaborative partnerships that are working well.  Any further education institution that is successful in achieving foundation degree awarding powers will still be expected to deliver foundation degrees collaboratively as part an articulated regional plan and in line with the HEFCW foundation degree policy.  

In order to implement this strategy, there will be additional support available for foundation degrees.  A sum of £7.92m was set aside under One Wales to support ‘Work to widen participation in further education and higher education for all ages’.  A total of £280k has already been used to cover the initial year of the Universities Heads of the Valleys Institute and HEFCW intend to use the remainder to support new regionally-based foundation degree provision.  It is HEFCW’s intent that the funding will be allocated using a competitive bid process over a 3 year period and HEFCW have indicated it will identify the successful regional proposals by the end of February 2011.  In this way the One Wales funding will achieve value for money through supporting two key For our Future priority areas:  the implementation of regional strategies for higher education provision; and the extension of Foundation Degree provision to meet the needs of learners and employers on a local basis.

This investment when considered alongside the £16.5m ESF supported Foundation Degree project being managed by the University of Glamorgan over five years, results in circa £24m of additional investment available for foundation degrees in Wales.  

Ensuring more coherent planning at a regional level will enhance provision locally for learners and provide a valuable mechanism in the drive to increase access and widen participation.  More learners will be able to achieve a higher education qualification that has been planned, designed and delivered collaboratively.  Work based learning will be strengthened through the increased partnership between employers and providers. The increased collaboration and partnership and removal of nugatory competition, duplication and overlap will offer greater economic benefit from public funding.