Annual Report 2017-2018
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Adroddiad Blynyddol 2017/18 2017/18 Report Report Annual Adroddiad Blynyddol 2017/18 2017/18 Annual Report Annual Report 42 Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Annual Report 2017/18 colegcymraeg.ac.uk 3 A Word from Contents the Chair 03 Chair’s Introduction It is my pleasure to present the Coleg’s Annual Report for 2017/18. This was a year of further development for the Coleg, despite the challenges facing the post-16 education sectors in a 06 Chief Executive’s Report period of financial uncertainty. 10 Subject Grants As noted in the Chief Executive’s comments, the More generally, the Higher Education sector also has Coleg has been working with representatives of the a role in ensuring that the vast majority of prospective 12 Data Report Further Education and Apprenticeships sectors, students in Wales choose to study in their own as well as Welsh Government officials, to prepare country. After all, that is the position in every other 13 Further Education and Apprenticeships a Report and Action Plan that will form the basis for country on these islands. a long-term plan to promote and increase Welsh-medium provision in the post-16 sector. During the year, following the governance review 14 Highlights of the Year This will be vital to the success of the Government’s referred to in my comments last year, a number of Welsh Language Strategy, since the plan proposes new members were appointed to the Coleg’s Board that all learners in these sectors will, over time, of Directors. This will expand the range of skills and 18 Appendix 1 Governance receive an element of Welsh language training. expertise on the Board to include the areas that are now among the Coleg’s responsibilities, in the hope 22 Appendix 2 Membership of the Coleg’s main committees The Coleg’s links with the universities are now well- that we can play an increasingly important part across established. The principle that every subject can be policy areas that are considered a priority for the studied and discussed through the medium of Welsh Welsh Government. In welcoming the new members 24 Appendix 3 The Coleg’s officers, staff and main providers of professional services will remain as the foundation for the Coleg’s academic to the Board, I am extremely grateful to all members, plans. During the year, the Coleg considered the as well as a host of supporters and friends, for their 26 Appendix 4 Lecturing posts funded by the Coleg via the Academic Staffing Scheme subjects where no formal Welsh-medium provision work on the Coleg’s behalf in various ways during in 2017/18 is being offered at present by assessing the demand the year. We are grateful, too, to the Chief Executive, from students and the demand in terms of future Dr Ioan Matthews, and his committed colleagues for 28 Appendix 5 PhD students funded by the Coleg via the Research Scholarships Scheme workforce needs. As a result, the Coleg will start their vital contribution to the Coleg’s success during in 2017/18 investing in some of those subjects next year, the year. including Dentistry at Cardiff University. 29 Appendix 6 Subject Grants provided by the Coleg to support Higher Education Dr Haydn E. Edwards One of the matters that continue to cause concern November 2018 in 2017/18 for the Coleg is that over half the students who speak Welsh choose to study outside Wales. 30 Appendix 7 National projects and other projects As a result, they do not have the option of continuing 34 Appendix 8 Support for Higher Education institutions to study through the medium of Welsh, and they are not in a position to make the most of the provision 36 Appendix 9 Finance that the Coleg has now developed throughout the country. One of the side-effects of this pattern, which has intensified over recent years, is that these students do not return to contribute to Welsh cultural Contact us: and economic life. Among the recommendations Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, submitted by the Coleg to the Welsh Government Y Llwyfan, College Road, Carmarthen in a recent report is a proposal that arrangements are established to maintain contact with students SA31 3EQ studying outside Wales, in the hope that more of 01267 610400 those students will choose to return in future. colegcymraeg.ac.uk @ColegCymraeg 4 Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Annual Report 2017/18 colegcymraeg.ac.uk 5 The principle that every subject can be studied and discussed through the medium of Welsh will remain as the foundation for the Coleg’s academic plans. Dr Haydn E. Edwards November 2018 6 Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Annual Report 2017/18 colegcymraeg.ac.uk 7 Chief Executive’s Introduction During a period of uncertainty and change, The post-16 sector will be vital to the success of the Under the leadership of Dr Dylan Phillips, an annual During the year, a review of the Coleg’s governance politically and within education and training, 2050 Welsh Language Strategy. Another crucial area cycle of planning meetings was established between was undertaken, and I would like to acknowledge the 2017/18 was a period of opening a new chapter is Initial Teacher Education, an area that the Coleg the Coleg and individual universities, and we continue effective leadership of the Board’s Chair, Dr Haydn E. in the history of the Coleg Cymraeg. has been supporting by providing some national to monitor provision levels carefully in order to ensure Edwards, in this work, with support from the Coleg’s co-ordination to the provision of linguistic training that the choice offered to students is maintained and Secretary, Catherine Rees. Following a formal announcement by the Cabinet for trainees. developed. Secretary, Kirsty Williams, in December 2017 Following the extension of the Coleg’s responsibilities accepting the recommendations of the Task and The Coleg believes that the focus on Welsh language We have now seen the launch of the Associate into new areas, the Board’s membership will evolve Finish Group established by the Welsh Government skills within the training and professional development Lecturers Scheme, which ensures that everyone over the next few years to reflect the sectors in which and chaired by Delyth Evans to review the Coleg’s of the education workforce needs to be strengthened teaching through the medium of Welsh or wishing to the Coleg will work in future. activities, work took place during the year to substantially. In that regard, the Coleg welcomes the do so maintains a direct link with the Coleg. implement those recommendations. One of the main Welsh Government’s decision to set an expectation The Coleg’s annual meeting for 2018 was held in issues explored by the review was the extension for ITE providers to incorporate such training within As part of the scheme, an annual conference will Aberystwyth, when two honorary fellows were of the Coleg’s responsibilities to include Further their mainstream provision from September 2019. be held for associate lecturers, the first of which inaugurated. Professor Gareth Ffowc Roberts is a Education and Apprenticeships. We have made clear our willingness to continue to will be held in June 2019. During that conference, pioneer in teaching and popularising Mathematics, support the developments as appropriate, including a number of awards will be established to be awarded who has contributed in several practical ways to the During the Coleg’s submissions to the Group, recommending that there should be transition each year to lecturers nominated by the Coleg branches. establishment and growth of the Coleg. the Coleg emphasised that, if it were to accept new arrangements in place as new structures are The latest official data on the number of students Gwerfyl Roberts, who retired from her post at Bangor responsibilities, it would wish to present an ambitious introduced. and long-term vision and action plan that would studying through the medium of Welsh during the University in 2017, has played a central part in the respond to the challenges of meeting the targets of During the year, a further development was seen in 2016/17 show a mixed picture. development of Welsh-medium Nursing education, the national Welsh Language Strategy, ‘Cymraeg the Coleg’s Academic Plan, with the emphasis on and the significant increase in the provision offered in However, the clearest theme in the data is an increase that area stems to a large extent from her efforts. 2050’. providing subject grants to academic departments in the number of students studying through the and units to support Welsh-medium provision within In light of that vision, the Coleg welcomed the medium of Welsh in the subject areas supported by Finally, I would like to thank the Coleg’s employees a wide range of areas. Most of the lecturers initially the Coleg. and the wider circle of colleagues and friends, who challenge set by the Cabinet Secretary to develop an funded for a period of five years by the Coleg via the ambitious plan. An Advisory Group was established ensure that the impact of the Coleg’s work and Staffing Scheme have now reached the end of their Following concern about some aspects of the influence continues to grow. that included the heads and senior managers of five-year funding period, but a high percentage of data, including the fact that half of Welsh-speaking Further Education Institutions and representation from them remain employed at their universities teaching undergraduates are choosing to study outside Wales, Dr Ioan Matthews the Apprenticeships sector. A series of meetings was through the medium of Welsh. the Welsh Government asked the Coleg to submit a November 2018 held, chaired by me as the Coleg’s Chief Executive, report on the situation regarding student numbers, in close and effective collaboration with Welsh and recommendations for the future.