The Welsh language
A key priority for Medr is to promote tertiary education through the medium of Welsh.
We have a significant role to play in fostering a vibrant culture where the Welsh language can thrive, and in contributing to the Welsh Government’s ambition to achieve one million Welsh speakers by 2050.
We will encourage demand for and participation in learning through the medium of Welsh, and we will ensure there is sufficient provision to meet that demand. Our planning will encourage all learners to develop, maintain and use their Welsh language skills during their tertiary education journey, equipping them to use those skills in the workplace and in informal contexts.
We partner with the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.
The Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol works with providers to promote, develop and maintain Welsh medium opportunities in tertiary education. This includes increasing the capacity of providers to deliver Welsh medium and bilingual provision, and providing a range of scholarships to encourage learners to study through the medium of Welsh.
The Coleg has been designated by Welsh Ministers to provide advice to Medr to help us deliver on our duty to promote tertiary education through the medium of Welsh. We have jointly signed a memorandum of understanding, formalising this relationship and setting out how we will work collaboratively to deliver our common aims.
In December 2024, we welcomed our first advice from the Coleg on our duties relating to the Welsh language, reflecting our shared ambitions to encourage the demand for, and the participation in, tertiary education provided through the medium of Welsh.
In August 2025, we received our second advice note, outlining the Coleg’s recommendations in relation to the new regulatory framework and approach for tertiary education. This included its expectations for a regulatory condition for the Welsh language. We have since responded to this advice note and we will take consideration of any further feedback we receive from the Coleg and other partners as part of our response to the findings of phase two of our consultation on the new regulatory system. We will also continue to fully take account of the Coleg’s advice as we implement our Strategic Plan 2025-2030 in partnership with all stakeholders.
As well as the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, Medr will work with other partners and tertiary education providers, to ensure adequate provision is available and increase the number of tertiary learners studying through the medium of Welsh.
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