Education

Each year, Wales adds further talent to its growing pool of highly educated and skilled people in the workforce.

Growing numbers are attending both further and higher education institutions. Many are undertaking courses in key technical and business disciplines. This includes a wide range of science and engineering courses within internationally recognised university departments.

For example in 2004, students at Welsh universities graduated in:

• Engineering - 1,740
• Software/IT – 1,564
• Financial & Business Services & Legal – 5,923
• Biosciences – 558
• Pharmacy & Clinical Trials – 738
• Creative Industries - 501

The total number of students enrolled on these courses at Welsh universities that year was more than 38,000. These included:

• Engineering students – 7,062
• Software/IT - 5,302
• Financial & Business Services & Legal – 19,064
• Biosciences – 2,209
• Pharmacy & Clinical Trials – 3,205
• Creative Industries - 1,545

(Source: HESA, 2005)

Wales’ 13 universities or institutes of higher education have a current combined student population of more than 100,000.

In addition more than 250,000 are studying both full and part time at Wales’ 26 colleges of further education (FE).

FE students are pursuing a wide range of vocational courses, many supported directly by industry.

Welsh universities are highly rated. The most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) ranked 44 Welsh university departments as being of international standard.