Higher education and regional economic development in Wales: An opportunity for demonstrating the efficacy of devolution in economic development

Much was made in the devolution campaign for the Welsh Assembly that it could have a crucial role to play in economic development. This article looks at one aspect of this, the role of higher education. It argues that of the two models available, the elite model and the outreach/diffusion model, not enough attention is paid to the former. The result is that Wales has a two-tier higher education system which does not really address crucial issues in economic development such as social reproduction, social capital and social exclusion. The German Berufsakademie system is looked at briefly as a possible model. The lesson is perhaps that until we have devolved political parties, the possibility of applying Welsh solutions to Welsh problems is going to be limited.