Annual Report 2015/16
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015/16 www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk @ColegCymraeg 3 Looking to the future by the Chair of the Board, Andrew Green 4 A word from the Chief Executive 8 Coleg investment in the universities 9 Increased number of students studying through the medium of Welsh 10 Developing a bilingual workforce 12 Academic Staffing Scheme 14 Coleg Scholarships 16 Coleg Projects 18 The past year 20 Appendices 1– 8 2 Annual Report 2015/16 ...the outlook is clearer and the future is full of hope. We will be able to continue to plan for the future. After five years of finding and staff to realize our plans its place in the post-16 and to motivate students and Looking to education system in Wales, prospective students. This the Coleg Cymraeg can now is the model that has borne the future by look forward with confidence fruit to date; it is a model to continuing the important that has the potential to work work of establishing the Welsh effectively outside higher the Chair of language as a natural medium education too. in universities. It is important to realize that the the Board For more than a year the resources flowing through the higher education sector in Coleg since 2011 represent a Andrew Wales faced considerable long-term investment. While uncertainty while waiting for it is important of course that the recommendations of Sir we meet the targets set for us Green Ian Diamond’s Commission by Government, we should on student finance and higher remember that our decisions education funding in Wales. today – for example to appoint By now the outlook is clearer young researchers to lecturing and our future more hopeful, posts – will continue to have an allowing us to continue impact for many years to come. planning for the years ahead. I very much hope that you will Planning, in my view, has been enjoy reading about the Coleg’s one of three cornerstones of excellent work during the last our success to date. Through year, and I’m sure you will be its strategy, its academic plan impressed by how much has and a myriad of other plans, been achieved. I should like to the Coleg has been able to thank all those who deserve make the most of the available credit for this success: the resources and ensure that Welsh Government and the provision is spread across Higher Education Funding the country. The second Council for Wales; members of critical factor is effective the Coleg’s Board of Directors collaboration: between the and its committees; the Chief Coleg and various universities, Executive, Ioan Matthews, and as well as between his talented colleagues; and the departments and individual large group of dedicated staff subjects, for the benefit of and students in the institutions. learners and researchers who want to work through the medium of Welsh. The third factor is resources: the money Annual Report 2015/16 3 The 2015/16 academic The latest official data on the year was the culmination number of students studying of the Coleg Cymraeg’s through the medium of Welsh establishment period, as the in the 2014/15 academic final appointments under the year show a further increase. Coleg’s Academic Staffing This increase is at its most Scheme were confirmed. Once striking in those areas where again, these appointments the Coleg has targeted new were made at seven different investment, to ensure that universities and in a range at least 40 credits, or a third of subjects, including of the course, are available Engineering and Speech through the medium of Welsh. and Language Therapy. Areas such as Business An appointment was also Studies, Law, Sports Sciences, made in the field of Translation Psychology and Nursing have Studies at Aberystwyth all seen a marked increase, University, following the including in some cases where A word from establishment of a national it was not possible to study initiative in this area supported the subject in Welsh to any the Chief by Coleg funding. These significant level in the past. appointments are already This increase was seen at further enhancing and the very time when figures Executive broadening the options obtained from UCAS (the body available to students to study responsible for coordinating Dr Ioan through the medium of Welsh university applications from at university. Full details of the students across the UK) show appointments can be seen in that an increased number Matthews Appendix 4. of students from schools and colleges that provide education in Welsh and bilingually are choosing to study at universities outside Wales. Nevertheless, the Coleg is confident that the universities will meet the targets set in terms of the number of students studying through the medium of Welsh. Maintaining and increasing the number of students studying through the medium of Welsh is key. 4 Annual Report 2015/16 Maintaining and increasing In last year’s annual report, Today the outlook is more the number of students reference was made to positive. In September 2016, studying through the medium concerns about the Coleg’s we saw the publication of Welsh is key. At the same future funding levels, and of the final report of the time, another priority in the the risk of losing some of Diamond Review of student Coleg’s mission, through the the momentum built since finance and higher education new Academic Plan, is to 2011/12 unless there was funding in Wales. The ensure that as many subjects continued funding to embed Review recommended that as possible are studied the provision and allow it the Coleg continues to act through the medium of Welsh. to develop. Similarly, the as the lead organisation Following Coleg support over report noted the importance in terms of planning and the last five years, the range of ensuring that as many as stimulating Welsh-medium of subjects has been possible of the academic staff university education, and that expanded significantly. Indeed, appointed since 2011 should the budget for this should almost all subject areas be appointed to permanent be no less than £5.8m per identified in the original plan lecturing posts by the annum. In November 2016, published in 2012 are now universities when the Coleg it was confirmed that the available through the medium funding comes to an end Coleg’s budget for 2017/18 of Welsh at a university in after a five-year period. will be broadly in line with Wales. We believe that this that amount, which allows success in expanding the the Coleg to plan for the provision, and in increasing next period. Much work was the number of students, undertaken in terms of making is quite an achievement the case for maintaining and in the current educational developing the Coleg’s work, and financial climate. and Welsh-medium education Annual Report 2015/16 5 more widely. It is encouraging to students, as well as become increasingly that the messages delivered ensuring that studying through important and, in order to consistently over the last the medium of Welsh is a do so, ensuring sufficient eighteen months have first-rate experience. Over numbers within the teaching been received positively the next few years, this will workforce to teach at all by politicians across the lead in practice to considering levels through the medium political spectrum and by what steps need to be taken, of Welsh and bilingually will Welsh Government officials. by subject and discipline, to be crucial. Over the last year, At the National Eisteddfod in improve the provision offered the Coleg has coordinated the Abergavenny, it was a pleasure through Coleg funding. A new development of a certificate to welcome the First Minister, funding arrangement is about of language competency Carwyn Jones, the Cabinet to be introduced, whereby for teachers, which will be Secretary for Education, Kirsty the Coleg will provide subject a formal means of recording Williams, and the Minister grants to support institutions and acknowledging teachers’ for Lifelong Learning and the in developing and deepening language skills in an Welsh Language, Alun Davies, their Welsh-medium provision. educational context. to Coleg-organised events. This will strengthen the During the week, it was relationship between the The Coleg’s annual meeting announced that a Task and Coleg and the individual for 2016 was held in Cardiff, Finish Group would consider universities through Coleg where three new honorary some matters relating to the branches as the responsibility fellows were appointed. future of the Coleg, and we are for maintaining Coleg-funded Ned Thomas has been looking forward to contributing posts moves to the universities a leading figure in Welsh to the work of that group. when the five-year funding intellectual life for decades periods come to an end. and has recently been Despite the uncertainties The fact that so many of the contributing to Coleg-funded that have faced the Coleg original posts have now been projects. The broadcaster and during the year, a conscious adopted by the universities journalist Geraint Talfan Davies decision was made to is very welcome indeed. was a key figure in the continue with planning for Coleg’s establishment and the future, in order to convey In strengthening activities in he gave a memorable speech our confidence that the the higher education sector, at the annual meeting of the short term challenges would the Coleg has recognised Court. Rhian Huws Williams be overcome. Specifically, over the last year that working has recently retired as Chief we set about preparing a with other sectors is crucial. Executive of the Care Council new Academic Plan for the This becomes even more for Wales.