Llandrillo College - Principal's Blog

Y gaeaf yma (2009-10) yw un o’r caletaf y gallaf ei gofio yn y Coleg. Yn fuan ym mis Ionawr, fe gaeom bob safle’n swyddogol am ddiwrnod o achos amodau tywydd garw. Dyma’r tro cyntaf y gallaf gofio orfod cau’r Coleg am y rheswm yma mewn dros ddeng mlynedd!
Hyd yn hyn mae’r rhan fwyaf o’r flwyddyn wedi bod yn brysur wrth lywio’r uno gyda Choleg Meirion Dwyfor, a pharatoi’r Coleg i weithio mewn ffordd ychydig yn wahanol. Y pwyslais ar gyfer y dyfodol yw canolbwyntio ar wasanaeth lleol ac atebolrwydd lleol o fewn diwylliant corfforedig unedig, gan adlewyrchu ar werthoedd y ddau sefydliad. Bydd y canolbwynt ar ansawdd, y dysgwr a macsimeiddio dewis yn parhau, gan barchu ac ymateb yn gadarnhaol i flaenoriaethau ieithyddol.

Bydd cyfleoedd newydd ar gael i staff a myfyrwyr a bydd llwyddiant parhaus y coleg a’i allu i ail-fuddsoddi yn y rhwydwaith dysgu yn sicrhau dyfodol cynaliadwy. Yn bresennol y dyddiad ar gyfer uno yw Ebrill 1af 2010, a bydd unrhyw oedi i’r dyddiad hwnnw ddim o achos diffygion paratoi gan fod pob targed wedi cael eu cyrraedd hyd yn hyn.

Fel y bydd y rhan fwyaf yn gwybod, mae prosiect 6ed y Rhyl nawr yn datblygu’n dda a disgwylir i’r rhaglen adeiladu gael ei gwblhau erbyn mis Awst 2010. Mae’r trefniadau ar gyfer y flwyddyn drawsnewidiol wedi bod yn heriol ac mae ymrwymiad y staff wedi bod yn ardderchog wrth oresgyn yr anawsterau ymarferol o ddysgu myfyrwyr o ar draws sefydliadau gwahanol. O fis Medi 2010, caiff y manteision eu gwireddu wrth i’r ganolfan newydd agor.

Mae gwaith yn parhau ar gampws Llandrillo-yn-Rhos, gan gymryd mantais lawn o’r arian cyfalaf a enillwyd yn llwyddiannus dros y ddwy flynedd diwethaf. Erbyn mis Medi 2010, bydd gwaith ar Sefydliad Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol, a mwy o gyfleusterau i staff a myfyrwyr wedi eu cwblhau. Hefyd, bwriedir i ailddatblygu’r ardal chwarae ar gefn y campws i ddarparu mwy o wasanaethau pob tywydd priodol i gefnogi ein rhaglen chwaraeon sy’n tyfu. Yn benodol, mae gwaith yn parhau i ddatblygu Academi Rygbi URC mewn partneriaeth gyda datblygiad chwaraeon newydd Parc Eirias.

Yn ystod mis Chwefror, cafodd carreg filltir bwysig arall ei gyrraedd, pan gyrhaeddodd y 100fed myfyriwr rhyngwladol i’r Swyddfa Ryngwladol am y flwyddyn academaidd. Hynod o briodol felly, ydyw fod y gefnogaeth ar roddir i’n myfyrwyr rhyngwladol wedi cael ei gydnabod gan Wobr Beacon AOC UK yn ystod yr un mis. Dyma gydnabyddiaeth sydd wedi cael ei gyrraedd eleni mewn cystadleuaeth yn erbyn rhai o golegau mwyaf sefydledig yn Lloegr a’r Alban gyda rhai o fintai tramor mwyaf.

Wrth i mi ysgrifennu, mae’r coleg yn paratoi hanes byr am dyfiant y sefydliad. Cafodd y "Coleg Technegol Llandrillo" gwreiddiol ei greu yn y 1960au o uniad rhwng Ysgol Westy ac Arlwyo Llandudno a Sefydliad Technegol Bae Colwyn. Bydd yr uno sydd i ddod unwaith eto’n cynrychioli cyfod pwysig gan gymryd y coleg i gam nesaf y datblygiad fel rhan integrol o drawsnewidiad darpariaeth dysgu yng Nghymru.
Gallaf ond edrych ymlaen o flaen llaw at y cyfleoedd sydd o’n blaenau wrth gydnabod beth sydd wedi cael ei gyflawni hyd yn hyn gyda synnwyr o foddhad.


This winter (2009-10) is one of the harshest that I can remember at the College. Early in January, we officially closed all sites for one day due to the adverse weather conditions. This is the first time that I can remember having to close the College for this reason in over ten years!
Much of the year to date has been taken up on steering the merger with Coleg Meirion Dwyfor, and preparing the College to work in a slightly different way. The emphasis for the future has clearly to focus on developing a local service and local accountability within a unified corporate culture, reflecting the values of both organisations. The focus on quality, the learner and maximising choice will continue, respecting and responding positively to linguistic priorities.
New opportunities will be made available to staff and students and the continuing success of the college and its ability to reinvest in the learning infrastructure will ensure a sustainable future. Currently the merger date is set for April 1st 2010, and any delay to that date will not be as a result of our lack of preparation as all targets have been achieved to date.

As most will know, the Rhyl 6th project is now well advanced and the build programme is on target to complete by August 2010. Arrangements for the transition year have proved to be challenging and the commitment of staff has been excellent in overcoming the practical difficulties of teaching students across different institutions. From September 2010, with the opening of the new centre the benefits will soon be realised.

Work continues in the main Rhos-on-Sea campus, taking full advantage of the capital money which has been successfully acquired over the last two years. By September 2010, the work on the Institute of Health and Social Care, and enhanced staff and student accommodation will be completed. It is also planned to redevelop the playing area to the rear of the campus to provide more appropriate all weather surfaces to support our growing sports programme. Of particular note, work is currently ongoing to develop a WRU Rugby Academy in partnership with the new Eirias Park sports development.

During the month of February, another important milestone was reached, when the International Office crossed the 100 student recruitment mark for the academic year. It seems so appropriate that the support given to our international students was recognised with an AOC UK Beacon Award during the same month. This is recognition indeed which this year has been achieved in competition against some of the more established colleges in England and Scotland with some of the largest overseas cohorts.

As I write, the college is preparing a brief history of the growth of the institution. The original "Llandrillo Technical College" was created in the 1960’s from a merger between the Llandudno Hotel and Catering School and the Colwyn Bay Technical Institute. The forthcoming merger will again represent a watershed taking the college to its next phase of development as an integral part of the transformation of learning provision in Wales.

I can only look forward in anticipation to the opportunities which lie ahead whilst recognising with a sense of satisfaction what has been achieved to date.