So I often discuss WHERE people from Wales study, but I think it's just as important to consider WHAT they are studying. After all, for many employers, with the increasing emphasis on 'skills', the subjects that people study (and the content and skills they learn on their course) is perhaps more important than where they studied.
These are the 10 most popular courses that people from Wales are studying across the UK (for those who enrolled in 2021/22):
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Are you surprised? Thinking about current and emerging skill gaps in the Welsh economy, what do you think should feature in the top 10 courses?
You can find more data on the what people are studying at university in the UK here if you want to do some further digging.
Unfortunately, HESA doesn't give the option to segment this data by university AND domicile, and we can't get a clear picture of what Welsh students outside of Wales are studying. It would be good to know this because, ultimately, as much as we want to attract grads to Wales, we shouldn't be doing this just for the sake of it.
I say this because the 'brain drain' and skill shortages are two interlinked but separate issues that Wales is facing.
In theory, we could 'solve' the brain drain by attracting more graduates into Wales than the amount that leave. However, if these graduates stay or return to Wales but work in low skilled roles, leaving wider skills gaps in the economy unfilled, the problem of 'skills shortages' would remain. You might have hit the mark by bringing these grads to Wales, but missed the point entirely.
So I often discuss WHERE people from Wales study, but I think it's just as important to consider WHAT they are studying. After all, for many employers, with the increasing emphasis on 'skills', the subjects that people study (and the content and skills they learn on their course) is perhaps more important than where they studied.
These are the 10 most popular courses that people from Wales are studying across the UK (for those who enrolled in 2021/22):
Are you surprised? Thinking about current and emerging skill gaps in the Welsh economy, what do you think should feature in the top 10 courses?
You can find more data on the what people are studying at university in the UK here if you want to do some further digging.
Unfortunately, HESA doesn't give the option to segment this data by university AND domicile, and we can't get a clear picture of what Welsh students outside of Wales are studying. It would be good to know this because, ultimately, as much as we want to attract grads to Wales, we shouldn't be doing this just for the sake of it.
I say this because the 'brain drain' and skill shortages are two interlinked but separate issues that Wales is facing.
In theory, we could 'solve' the brain drain by attracting more graduates into Wales than the amount that leave. However, if these graduates stay or return to Wales but work in low skilled roles, leaving wider skills gaps in the economy unfilled, the problem of 'skills shortages' would remain. You might have hit the mark by bringing these grads to Wales, but missed the point entirely.
Rydw i'n aml yn trafod BLE mae pobl o Gymru yn astudio, ond rwy’n meddwl ei bod yr un mor bwysig ystyried BETH y maent yn ei astudio. Wedi'r cyfan, i lawer o gyflogwyr, gyda'r pwyslais cynyddol ar 'sgiliau', efallai bod y pynciau y mae pobl yn eu hastudio (a'r cynnwys a'r sgiliau y maent yn eu dysgu ar eu cwrs) yn bwysicach na'r man lle buont yn astudio.
Dyma’r 10 cwrs mwyaf poblogaidd y mae pobl o Gymru yn eu hastudio ar draws y DU (i’r rhai a gofrestrodd yn 2021/22):
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Ydych chi wedi synnu? Gan feddwl am fylchau sgiliau presennol a'r rhai sy'n dod i'r amlwg yn economi Cymru, beth ydych chi'n meddwl ddylai gael ei gynnwys yn y 10 cwrs gorau?
Gallwch ddod o hyd i fwy o ddata ar yr hyn y mae pobl yn ei astudio mewn prifysgol yn y DU yma os hoffech chi wybod mwy.
Yn anffodus, nid yw HESA yn rhoi'r opsiwn i rannu'r data hwn fesul prifysgol A domisil, ac ni allwn gael darlun clir o'r hyn y mae myfyrwyr o Gymru y tu allan i Gymru yn ei astudio. Byddai’n dda gwybod hyn oherwydd, yn y pen draw, cymaint ag yr ydym am ddenu graddedigion i Gymru, ni ddylem fod yn gwneud hyn er ei fwyn yn unig.
Dywedaf hyn oherwydd bod y 'draen doniau a'r prinder sgiliau yn ddau fater cydgysylltiedig ond ar wahân y mae Cymru'n eu hwynebu.
Mewn egwyddor, gallem 'ddatrys' y draen doniau ar un lefel drwy ddenu mwy o raddedigion i Gymru na'r swm sy'n gadael. Fodd bynnag, pe bai'r graddedigion hyn yn aros neu'n dychwelyd i Gymru ond yn gweithio mewn rolau sgiliau isel, gan adael bylchau sgiliau ehangach yn yr economi heb eu llenwi, byddai problem 'prinder sgiliau' yn parhau. Efallai eich bod wedi taro'r marc trwy ddod â'r graddedigion hyn i Gymru, ond wedi methu'r pwynt yn llwyr.