We want your views on HEIW’s draft Education Strategy. Developed through a year of evidence gathering and engagement with stakeholders, the strategy sets out our proposed direction for education and training across Wales.
The strategy helps us to look beyond today’s challenges and to consider how education and training should evolve to improve population health, support the strategic direction for NHS Wales including the development of new models of care, and respond to changing learner and educator needs and expectations.
The strategy focuses on five themes where we believe change could make the biggest difference to population health. We identified these themes through research and conversations with stakeholders. Together, they provide a framework for long-term action. Each theme has key priorities that we will take forward through our Integrated Medium Term Plan. The five themes are:
Strategic Theme 1
Skills for the future: Equipping the NHS Wales workforce with the skills, knowledge and confidence needed for future models of care, including digital, Welsh language and population health capabilities.
Strategic Theme 2
Attractive routes into healthcare careers: Creating more flexible, inclusive and accessible routes into healthcare careers, supporting people from different backgrounds to enter and progress through education and training.
Strategic Theme 3
Developing the multi-professional workforce: Strengthening opportunities for healthcare professionals to learn and work together, developing the shared skills needed to deliver integrated, community-focused and person-centred care.
Strategic Theme 4
High-quality learning environments: Ensuring learners have access to high-quality, inclusive and supportive learning environments, with skilled educators, effective supervision and opportunities to learn across different care settings.
Strategic Theme 5
Sustainable planning and funding of education and training: Making better use of resources through evidence-informed planning and investment, ensuring education and training remain affordable, sustainable and responsive to future workforce needs.
Our six-week consultation opens in mid-October 2026 and closes on 4th December 2026.
This is your opportunity to tell us whether the draft reflects the needs of NHS Wales and sets a clear, ambitious direction for the future.
Read the draft Education Strategy
Complete the consultation questionnaire HEIW Education Strategy - Public Consultation – Fill in form
Explore the supporting horizon-scanning evidence and strategy mapping
Read the Call for Evidence thematic analysis
We are also holding drop-in sessions where you can learn more about the strategy and our key priorities to help form your response.
Register for a drop-in session: HEIW drop-in session registration link
Thank you to everyone who has already shared their time, experience and expertise. Your contributions have significantly shaped this draft, and we hope you will continue to engage with us during this final stage.