To mark #CollegesWeek2026, NUS Wales President Deio Owen reflects on his own experience of further education and the opportunities colleges provide for learners across Wales. In this thought piece, he highlights some of the key issues shaping learners’ experiences today - including the importance of independent advice and guidance, the need for affordable and reliable transport, and the vital role colleges play in supporting bilingual education. As colleges across Wales celebrate their impact, Deio shares why these issues matter for current and future generations of learners.
In Pen Llŷn, progressing to Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor after completing GCSEs has become the natural next step for many young people. Whether choosing A levels, a BTEC qualification or another pathway, learners benefit from the college’s wide-ranging and high-quality provision, offering something to suit every ambition and interest.
I finished college in 2020, when Covid brought my time there to an earlier close than any of us had expected. During the year and a half I spent at the college, before the world came to a standstill, I was able to study courses that genuinely inspired me, take part in extracurricular activities that enriched my learning, and benefit from exceptional support from staff and tutors throughout.
Travel Challenges Facing Further Education Learners
As we celebrate #CollegesWeek2026 this week, this is an opportunity for me to look back on my time in college and the opportunities, as well as the challenges, facing learners and the sector. One of the main barriers preventing learners from accessing the education they deserve is access to affordable, accessible, and reliable transport. When I speak with learners across Wales, this is the topic that is raised most often. Although the Government has introduced a pilot scheme for £1 bus ticket, this is still not enough. When I was in college, buses were not reliable or convenient for travelling to college and around a rural area such as Pen Llŷn. That remains true today, with many learners noting that they cannot rely on public transport, that it is too expensive, and that the system simply does not work. This is one of the reasons why NUS Wales is calling for free public transport for learners in our manifesto for the Senedd election this May. If we want to create a fair education system for learners that is accessible to everyone, ensuring that learners can reach campus to receive their education must be the starting point.
By providing post-16 education to large areas of the country, the lack of suitable transport - whether by bus or train - remains a barrier that prevents many young people from accessing education. If we want to ensure learners can reach their place of study, we need to review how public transport works in Wales.
Choosing What Comes Next: Why Independent Advice and Guidance Matters Most
Another thing on my mind while I was in college was my next step. In my second year, I was studying Welsh, Biology, History and Welsh Baccalaureate. I knew I wanted to go to university after finishing college, but what to study was less clear. Welsh appealed to me, but the idea of studying a joint honours degree was also attractive. I attended three open days at universities across the country, knowing that I did not want to cross Offa’s Dyke to study. In the end, I went to Cardiff University to study Welsh and Politics. Although I had support from my parents and siblings when thinking about where to go and what to study, it was still a challenge as there was no obvious support available while making what felt like the most important decision of my life at the time. I was not the only one either. For many college learners, with so many options, questions and processes to follow - thinking about the next steps is challenging.
This remains true today. Many learners across the country continue to face challenges when deciding which path is best for them. Go to university? Follow an apprenticeship? Go straight into work? Stay in college to pursue a higher education course? We are very fortunate to have so much choice, but support is needed to help learners choose the path that is most suitable for them. This is something that has recently received attention from the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee. If we want to ensure that young people make the best decisions, we must ensure that they have the advice and guidance they deserve, and this must be a priority for the next Welsh Government.
The Value of a Broad Curriculum and Bilingual Provision
One of the best things about studying in Pwllheli, and at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor, was the wide range of subjects available. From marine engineering to law and social care, the breadth of provision available under one roof enriches the learning experience and also opens more doors for young people who are just beginning their life journey.
Another benefit of studying at the college was the strong Welsh-medium provision, with almost every programme area available in Welsh, and college support also available through the medium of Welsh. This certainly enriched my education as a first-language Welsh speaker and also inspired me to study through the medium of Welsh at university. Although Welsh-medium provision is strong in Llŷn, the same has not always been true for post-16 education in other parts of Wales. It has been encouraging to see the progress made in increasing Welsh-medium provision across the country through the work of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and the efforts of colleges in every corner of Wales. With the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025 now in force, and the target of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050 now statutory, colleges have a very important role to play in supporting new speakers.
Colleges across Wales undoubtedly enrich the learning experience of learners of all ages and backgrounds. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend college after finishing school, and I am very proud to be able to celebrate Colleges Week 2026 this week.
About Deio
Deio Owen is the President of National Union of Students Wales (NUS Wales), representing more than 250,000 students, apprentices and learners across Wales. Originally from Pwllheli, he previously served as Students’ Union President at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and is a passionate advocate for student representation and the Welsh language.
Further Information
You can also hear more of Deio’s views on the travel challenges facing further education learners - and see first hand how the cost, complexity and unreliability of transport affects learners from across Wales - in this ColegauCymru film, Fair Travel, Fair Futures: Why learner travel needs an urgent national solution.
