Post Update September 29th 2010

The college has again settled to the rigours of the teaching year. Students who only a few weeks ago appeared uncertain have again found their feet and are participating in all aspects of college life. As I write, a small group of our higher education students are preparing to be questioned by the QAA as part of the review of the University of Wales provision which is currently offered by the college. Increasingly students at college are expected to work in partnership and need to be included at all levels of decision making. This is clearly reflected in the new quality assurance regimes, be it for higher or further education.

A very warm welcome is extended to Bethan Roberts, the new Student Union President, who is currently a student at our Dolgellau Campus. She will be expected to play an important part in ensuring the seamlessness of the recent merger, whilst ensuring that the needs and expectations of all our students are recognised, regardless of campus location. The Students’ Union is an important stakeholder in responding effectively to the need for an enhanced presence for the learner voice.

In the context of stakeholders, an independent Governance review has recently been announced by the Welsh Assembly Government. This review will consider whether the current arrangements for further education institutions, as set out in the Instruments and Articles of Government remain relevant for the challenges and expectations that face the sector.

These challenges and expectations will of course be shaped by the forthcoming ‘Public Spending Review’ and the outcomes of the ‘transformation process’ which will impact on all parts of Wales.
These changes will inevitably demand a response which will involve developing new ways of working and the potential development of new Governance models.

The college has already successfully engaged with the transformation agenda which indirectly has led to the following:

- The Coleg Llandrillo / Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor merger.
- The reorganisation of post 16 education in Rhyl and the creation of the Rhyl 6th.
- New Learning Partnerships across the three counties covered by the college.
- New work based consortia, aimed at modernising the delivery of work based activities.
- The potential for dual sector operations in North West Wales, involving both HE and FE to improve progression and responsiveness.

The above initiatives are all at different stages of maturity but all represent new ways of working which will eventually demand new structures and new skills sets.
The challenge faced by colleges in all parts of the UK is indeed complex. On the one hand we need to become strategic bodes with the critical mass to invest in infrastructure and our staff, whilst on the other hand remaining close to our communities, and most importantly close to the student group.
The college is clearly responding to these new challenges and is already preparing for the forecasted financial downturn. The long term success will however be judged by our students, what they achieve and how they contribute to society. This must be at the core of all our activities and integral to future success.

The first day of term

This is the first day at college for our first year students. The college suddenly feels different, corridors are busy and common areas are a hive of activity. It’s also really good to see the new areas which have been commissioned for student use beginning to be utilised. The college certainly feels full and that’s without second years, part time students and our higher education contingent. This is a message that’s percolating through from all campuses. It’s certainly going to be a challenge for this college to match its intake with its funding. The demand for further education is currently unprecedented.

Over the last few weeks major capital programmes have been reaching the final stages of their

implementation. This includes the new Institute of Health on the Rhos campus, the Rhyl Sixth which is integral to Coleg Llandrillo Rhyl and the extension to the student heartspace referred to earlier at Rhos. It was also a pleasure to be involved last week in cutting the first turf ceremony at our Glynlllifon Campus to create the ‘learning village’. The completion of these projects will transform what is possible for the Glynllifon Campus enabling world class land based activities to be delivered for the site.

Last week again saw the annual round of whole college staff meetings. This year, for the first time, these were organised by county, covering the three counties where the college is operational. The Gwynedd meeting was held in Porthmadog, the Conwy meeting in Rhos on Sea and the Denbighshire meeting in Rhyl. Well over six hundred staff attended these meetings which provided the opportunity to focus on the following themes:

• College performance: student and financial.
• Future quality assessment regimes.
• The learner imperative.
• Delivering more with less money.
• Welsh Assembly Government priorities.
• Potential Public Sector cuts.
• Creating new learning systems.
• Welsh language strategy.

The main planning priorities of the college build upon these themes and are translated into seven key themes which have been widely consulted upon. These seven themes will be operational until 2012, by which time I am sure that new funding priorities will demand further change.

At these meetings the importance of looking forwards, not backwards was stressed. This is particularly important for the college as it builds on the success of the recent merger and begins to look at new ways of operating which fully take into account the technology available, the expectations of learners and the importance of new partnerships.

The FE sector has never avoided change and currently the demands to embrace change are greater than ever. Coleg Llandrillo has always positioned itself to take full advantage of change. I have always drawn comfort from the fact that staff have always responded positively to such challenges which can be contributed greatly to the strength of the college today.

The coming months will see change manifest itself in different ways. Of particular note will be the response of our higher education provision to future capping arrangements.

The realignment of work based provision to meet new tendering expectations and our response to the forecast downturn in public sector funding.

Today is however a good day, a new generation of students, new expectations and the college buzzing again.

Diwrnod cyntaf y tymor

Dyma ddiwrnod cyntaf yn y coleg i rai o’n myfyrwyr yn y flwyddyn gyntaf. Yn sydyn mae’r coleg yn teimlo’n wahanol, mae’r coridorau’n brysur ac mae’r ardaloedd cyffredin yn llawn bwrlwm. Mae hi hefyd yn braf gweld yr ardaloedd newydd a gomisiynwyd ar gyfer y myfyrwyr yn cael eu defnyddio. Mae’r coleg yn teimlo’n llawn, ac mae hynny cyn i fyfyrwyr yr ail flwyddyn, rhai rhan-amser a’r rhai addysg uwch gychwyn. Mae hon yn neges sy’n gyffredin i bob campws. Mae hi’n bendant yn mynd i fod yn sialens i’r coleg i uno ei mewnlif â’r arian. Ni welwyd y fath alw am addysg bellach o’r blaen.

Dros yr wythnosau diwethaf mae prosiectau cyfalaf mawr wedi dod tuag at eu terfyn. Mae hyn yn cynnwys Sefydliad Iechyd ar gampws Rhos, Chweched y Rhyl sydd yn integrol i Goleg Llandrillo y Rhyl ac estyniad i fan canolog y myfyrwyr yn Rhos. Roedd hi hefyd yn bleser yr wythnos ddiwethaf i fod yn y seremoni i glustnodi’r achlysur ar Gampws Glynllifon i greu’r ‘pentref addysg’. Bydd cwblhau’r prosiectau hyn yn trawsffurfio Campws Glynllifon gan alluogi i weithgareddau tir o’r radd flaenaf gael eu cyflwyno ar y safle.
Yr wythnos ddiwethaf cynhaliwyd yr arfer blynyddol o gynnal cyfarfodydd staff i’r coleg cyfan. Eleni, am y tro cyntaf, cawsant eu trefnu yn ôl sir, gan gael eu cynnal yn y tair sir ble mae’r coleg yn weithredol. Cynhaliwyd cyfarfod Gwynedd ym Mhorthmadog, cyfarfod Conwy yn Llandrillo-yn-rhos a chyfarfod Sir Ddinbych yn Y Rhyl. Mynychodd dros chwe chant o staff y cyfarfodydd, a rhoddodd y cyfarfod y cyfle i ganolbwyntio ar y themâu canlynol:

Perfformiad y coleg: myfyrwyr ac yn ariannol.
Trefn asesu ansawdd yn y dyfodol.
Hanfod y dysgwr.
Darparu mwy â llai o arian.
Blaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru.
Toriadau posibl yn y Sector Gyhoeddus.
Creu systemau dysgu newydd.
Strategaeth yr iaith Gymraeg.

Mae prif flaenoriaethau cynllunio’r coleg yn adeiladu ar y themâu hyn a chânt eu trosi i saith thema allweddol sydd wedi cael eu hymgynghori’n barod. Bydd y saith thema yma’n weithredol tan 2012, ac erbyn hynny rwy’n siŵr y bydd blaenoriaethau ariannu newydd yn gofyn am newid pellach.

Yn y cyfarfodydd hyn, pwysleisiwyd y pwysigrwydd o edrych tua’r dyfodol ac nid i’r gorffennol. Mae hyn yn arbennig o bwysig i’r coleg wrth adeiladu ar lwyddiant yr uno diweddar ac yn cychwyn edrych ar ffyrdd newydd o weithio sy’n cymryd i ystyriaeth y dechnoleg sydd ar gael, disgwyliadau’r dysgwyr a phwysigrwydd partneriaethau newydd.

Tydi’r sector AB erioed wedi osgoi newid ac yn bresennol mae’r galw i groesawu newid yn fwy nag erioed. Mae Coleg Llandrillo wedi lleoli ei hun i gymryd mantais lawn o newid. Rwy’n cael cysur o wybod fod staff wedi ymateb yn gadarnhaol i sialensiau fel rhain a gall hyn gyfrannu’n fawr tuag at gryfder y coleg heddiw.
Bydd llawer o newid dros y misoedd nesaf mewn sawl ffordd. Yn benodol fydd ymateb ein darpariaeth addysg uwch i drefniadau capio yn y dyfodol.
Aildrefniant o ddarpariaeth yn seiliedig ar waith i gwrdd â disgwyliadau tendro newydd a’n hymateb i’r dirywiad economaidd yng nghronfa’r sector gyhoeddus sy’n cael ei ddarogan.

Mae heddiw fodd bynnag yn ddiwrnod da, cenhedlaeth newydd o fyfyrwyr, disgwyliadau newydd a’r coleg yn byrlymu eto.