Wales’ leading examination board, which has served over 4,700 students in Pembrokeshire this year, is celebrating 75 years since its inception.

The occasion was marked with an event at the Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay, on Wednesday (November 22).

Headteacher of Ysgol Bro Myrddin in Carmarthen, Dr Llinos Jones, attended alongside other notable guests including Jeremy Miles MS, Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Luke Fletcher MS, Senedd Regional Member, Plaid Cymru, as well as key figures from across the Welsh education community. 

A registered charity and company limited by guarantee, the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) employs more than 400 people, including subject specialists and experienced teaching and learning professionals.

Following the introduction of reformed general qualifications in 2015, WJEC became the sole qualification provider for state-funded schools and colleges across most GCSE and AS/A level subjects. It is also in the midst of creating a new suite of bilingual GCSEs and related qualifications as part of Qualifications Wales’ ‘Qualified for the Future’ project. 

In Wales, the board offers almost 200 GCSE, AS, A Level and Vocational Qualifications, and awarded over 440,00 qualifications in the 2022/23 academic year alone. WJEC is the only awarding body to provide direct access to subject experts and support teams to support the delivery of its qualifications, as well as providing free bilingual teaching and learning tools as part of an ever-growing package of resources.  

In the 23/34 academic year alone, throughout Pembrokeshire, WJEC served over 1,700 candidates across 13 centres for GCSE, over 400 candidates across 9 centres for A Level, and facilitated over 2,600 entries for Welsh Baccalaureate across nine centres. 

WJEC’s Chief Executive Ian Morgan said: “We take pride in our heritage, our role in shaping educational policies, and our commitment to supporting Welsh students.”

In 2022, WJEC launched The Gareth Pierce Bursary Scheme in memory of its late Chief Executive. The scheme seeks to promote academic excellence and provides £3,000 support to three undergraduates studying mathematics through the medium of Welsh.  

Jeremy Miles MS, Minister for Education and Welsh Language, added: “It is important our learners benefit from a broad and balanced, bilingual education which offers exciting new opportunities. WJEC continues to set high standards for all, and I look forward to working together as they develop qualifications that match the ambitions behind our new Curriculum for Wales.”