July 2022
In April, ColegauCymru received two pots of funding from the Welsh Government. One enabled work to begin on a new project that will support colleges to evaluate the delivery of masterclasses and research projects to accelerate and build staff expertise and increase learners' knowledge and learning experience. This work is ongoing. The second pot of funding was used to lead a project that will play a significant role in co-ordinating plans for expanding retrofit and wider green skills provision across FEIs in Wales. The project will support colleges as they prepare to meet current and future Welsh Government demands for green skills development - part of their Net Zero Skills Action Plan.
Teaching and Learning Network Teachmeet Events
In February 2022, the ColegauCymru Teaching and Learning Network hosted the third in a series of successful ‘Teachmeet’ events, designed specifically for colleagues in the FE and WBL sectors to share examples of good practice. The events, funded by Welsh Government, help to support knowledge exchange across the whole of the FE sector in Wales. This event focused on innovative teaching in FE construction, and hosted speakers from Construction Wales Innovation Centre (CWIC), Kier Group, and British Association of Construction Heads, as well as FE college staff.
Success with Personal Learning Account scheme
The successful Personal Learning Account (PLA) scheme, which was originally piloted in two colleges (Coleg Gwent and Grŵp Llandrillo Menai), has been rolled out across the entire FE sector. ColegauCymru continues to work with Welsh Government and colleges to ensure the scheme is effective in reaching those who would benefit most from the upskilling opportunities available.
Strengthening the team
To strengthen our role in WBL and Employability, a new Strategic Adviser, Jeff Protheroe, joined us in April 2022. Our Strategic WBL and Employability Group continues to work with Welsh Government and other key stakeholders on the impact of qualification reform, particularly in the hugely important sectors of Health & Social Care, Construction and Building Services Engineering. We have also focused on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, seeking potential solutions whilst considering how the college network can maintain high levels of quality provision within the context of ever-increasing costs.
Further Information
Jeff Protheroe, Strategic Adviser, Work-based learning and Employability
Jeff.Protheroe@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
