College shows Minister the changing face of further education in the Valleys

The Strategic Management Team at Coleg y Cymoedd has been congratulated by NUS Wales for their commitment to the ‘voice of the Learner’ at Coleg y Cymoedd’s recent Learner Voice Conference.

Over 80 learners from the Aberdare, Rhondda, Nantgarw and Ystrad Mynach campuses attended the first Learner Conference of the newly merged college. Student Executive, Rhiannon Llewellyn welcomed the Learner representatives and the Strategic Management Team to Llewellyn’s, Aberdare campus and also thanked Beth Button, Vice President NUS Wales for taking time out of her busy schedule to attend the event.

Addressing the audience Beth gave an overview of the work of the NUS and stressed the importance of events such as the Conference to gain the views of learners; which in turn would be used to lobby ministers on local and national campaigns. She applauded the Principal and Management Team for the importance they place on gathering the views of the learners and acting on them; which was evident from their attendance and participation at the Conference.

The days programme got under way with a team challenge requiring the creative skills of both learners and staff. The programme then moved on to discuss how well the College supported a learner’s progress during the course, which led to useful discussions on the use of ILPs and the tutorial system. Finally teams were asked to consider how their progression is managed in terms of next steps to higher levels at FE, university, apprenticeships or employment.

Judith Evans, Principal & Chief Executive said” I thoroughly enjoy the Learner Conferences it is refreshing to spend quality time with the learners listening to their views. It is pleasing to know that learners enjoy their time with us and the feedback we have gathered today will help us to further improve the learner experience, with a stronger focus on support and planning next steps in the learner journey”. The Principal thanked the staff and learners for a very informative day and assured them that their feedback would be discussed and the necessary actions taken to address any issues

The Conference concluded with a delicious hot buffet, prepared and served by the Hospitality & Catering students at the Aberdare campus.

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