As we close another busy and productive term at ColegauCymru, it’s an important moment to reflect on recent achievements and look ahead to what will be a pivotal year as we prepare for 2026 and the Senedd election.
This Autumn term, once again the FE sector has experienced a significant rise in demand for specific areas of vocational education and training, as well as higher numbers of young people coming into college at lower qualification levels. This is of course good news for colleges, but also brings significant financial pressure. The number of young people enrolling this September was significantly higher than what was budgeted for by Welsh Government and Medr. The sector is grateful for the additional provision made this year to support increased growth; however, even with this support, colleges are delivering an estimated £15m - £20m of unfunded delivery. Colleges continue to demonstrate their resilience, but further support is urgently needed, to ensure they can continue to support learners, employers and local economies.
ColegauCymru manifesto for Senedd 2026
The next Senedd term will be defining for Wales’ future. The challenges of net zero, delivering sustainable economic growth, rapid technological change and new demands on public services will shape Wales’ future for a generation. Wales’ future economic success lies in the skills of our people, investing in skills is the key to economic growth and to tackle inequalities in Wales. Colleges are catalysts for positive change and essential if Wales is to have the future that we all deserve.
This term we launched the ColegauCymru manifesto, Growth, Opportunity and Fairness, which outlines three core missions:
- Grow the economy by equipping learners with skills for a changing and green economy.
- Improve participation and progression by removing barriers and raising quality.
- Tackle inequality and poverty by strengthening adult education and second-chance learning.
As we look ahead to the Senedd 2026 election, we are committed to engaging constructively with parties across the political spectrum and with key stakeholders, working together to shape a shared vision for skills, opportunity and prosperity in Wales.
Medr consultation on new regulatory powers
This term, ColegauCymru has led the FE sector’s engagement with Medr’s second consultation on the new regulatory powers for tertiary education in Wales. While the revised proposals show welcome improvements, some significant concerns remain. These include the risk of excessive regulatory burden on the sector, duplication with Estyn processes and a regulatory approach to learner engagement that could end up diminishing the current rich mix of formal and informal engagement activity.
We are grateful for the level of engagement Medr have shown in their work with the sector to shape and refine the proposals. Our response emphasises the need for practical, proportionate implementation that reflects FE realities, including rising learner needs, unfunded enrolments, and limited planning capacity compared to universities. We will continue working closely with Medr as these proposals move towards implementation.
Tackling harmful attitudes through international partnership to support learner wellbeing
Alongside shaping long-term policy, this term brought real, practical progress through international collaboration. Funded by the ColegauCymru Taith Pathway 2 project, colleges across Wales united to challenge misogyny and promote respectful relationships among learners. Through a series of powerful events, more than 500 male learners and staff engaged in open discussions on masculinity, respect and positive behaviour, supported by facilitators from She Is Not Your Rehab and Our Voice Our Journey. These sessions equipped learners with the tools to recognise harmful attitudes and foster safer, more respectful college communities. Building on this momentum, colleges are now working collectively to reflect on the learning from this programme and to map the next steps for this important work, ensuring it is embedded, sustained and continues to strengthen learner wellbeing across the sector.
Following detailed, evidence-based advocacy work, this term ColegauCymru secured crucial financial support to help colleges provide support for learners with additional learning needs (ALN). We welcomed the Welsh Government announcement of an additional £3.2 million for ALN provision in FE - funding that will help colleges meet rising demand under the ALN system, recruit specialist staff and enhance targeted support for learners who need it most. While this investment is an important step, we continue to call for sustainable long-term funding to ensure all learners can access the support required to thrive.
Active wellbeing and Sport
The Active Wellbeing (AWB) project continues to create new activity opportunities for learners supporting a more preventative approach to improved health and wellbeing across the sector. In recent months colleges have been able to share highlights from delivery with the AWB network and external stakeholders to showcase some of the amazing work taking place. This has included new and innovative approaches to learner engagement via new “wellbeing areas”, additional recreational sport opportunities and intra campus competitions.
The project is supported by funding from The National Lottery via Sport Wales and ColegauCymru has been actively connecting with some of Sport Wales’ priority areas including “Thriving Environments” (Mental Health training), Period Proud (Period dignity initiative), Future Foundations (training for activity and sport linked to early years) and Learning Disability Active (the new strategy and alliance focusing on intellectual impairment, sport and physical activity).
The Autumn term has also been a busy period for Sport with over 800 young people participating in Welsh regional tournaments and events, including Ability Counts Football, 7-a-side Football for male and female learners, Netball and Basketball, with over 20 college campuses from across Wales participating. The winners of these tournaments will now represent Wales at the AoC National Championships in April 2025.
Strengthening the workforce and sector collaboration
Collaboration remains central to our approach. Our constructive work with trade unions continues to shape a positive environment for staff and learners, helping us address shared challenges and ensuring workforce wellbeing remains at the forefront. Alongside this, our Workload Project continues to support colleges to identify practical ways to reduce pressure on staff, while the development of skills and pastoral coaching roles is strengthening capacity to support both learners and the workforce.
We continue to work closely with key partners, including Welsh Government, Medr, Estyn, Qualifications Wales and others across the system, to align priorities, share insight and drive improvement. This collaborative approach is vital in building a resilient, supported workforce and a strong, connected further education sector.
Apprenticeships
This term, ColegauCymru responded to the Medr consultation on the New Apprenticeship Programme (launching August 2027), advocating for a more flexible, inclusive system with unified pathways from Levels 2 to 6, modular options, micro-credentials, and enhanced support for learners, especially Welsh speakers. Key recommendations included making colleges ‘one-stop-shops’ for training, improving SME vacancy services, broadening quality measures, and ensuring stable funding, while also stressing alignment with economic priorities, stronger school/college links, and an employer-led advisory group. Looking ahead, the Cross-Party Group on Apprenticeships will again host an interactive Apprenticeships Fayre at the Senedd during Apprenticeship Week Wales 2026, where attendees can explore hands-on activities and meet apprentices, employers, and providers from a wide range of sectors and programmes.
WorldSkills UK finals
In November, Wales hosted the WorldSkills UK finals for the first time in WorldSkills’ 71-year history. We worked closely with colleagues in WorldSkills UK, Inspiring Skills Wales and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTFW) as well as Welsh Government, to build anticipation and participation in the run-up to the finals. Colleges across Wales took part beyond the three host colleges with events and the very well received torch relay. We used this opportunity to highlight the importance of skills to building Wales’ economy and resilience, and are grateful to Minister for Further and Higher Education, Vikki Howells MS, and Minister for Skills, Jack Sargeant MS, for taking the time to visit the finals, as well as Plaid Cymru Leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS. Wales finished at the top of the medal tables both in the main competition and the foundation competition. Congratulations to Cardiff and Vale College and Pembrokeshire College for sharing the top spot.
Looking ahead to 2026
As we approach the new year and look towards Senedd 2026, we will continue to drive forward the ambitions set out in our manifesto - advocating for sustainable funding, championing lifelong learning, and ensuring further education is recognised as central to Wales’s economic resilience, social justice and green transition. We will also deepen our work on equality, inclusion and learner wellbeing, building on the strong foundations laid this autumn so that every learner feels safe, supported and able to flourish.
In the run-up to the election, we are proactively engaging with political parties, candidates and stakeholders to ensure the voices of colleges, learners and communities are clearly heard. Our message is clear: further education must be at the heart of Wales’s strategy for growth, fairness and opportunity. Working in partnership with government and the wider sector, we remain committed to translating this shared vision into action through advocacy, practical support and innovation that delivers real impact for learners, communities and employers across Wales.
Thank you to all staff, learners and partners who have contributed to our work this term. Your commitment and collaboration continue to drive the sector forward. We wish you a peaceful festive season and a positive start to 2026.
David Hagendyk and the ColegauCymru team
