College Group’s Student Union President Elected Onto NUS Wales Committee
At the recent National Union of Students (NUS) Wales annual conference, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s higher education student union president was elected onto the body’s steering group after gaining one of only two positions available.
Will Prys-Jones was elected onto the NUS Wales Steering Group committee, despite having to hastily prepare his speech the night before the conference to present to delegates to encourage them to vote for him.
Will demonstrated his passion for the ‘student voice’, and explained about his continual engagement with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s further and higher education students at events, focus groups, learner panels, and management meetings. He is also the higher education student governor for the college group which comprises Coleg Llandrillo, Coleg Menai and Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor.
Will also stated how passionate he is about Wales, its culture, and how he wants to push for more opportunities for students within Wales in the future, as currently, 50% of people currently leave Wales to study / work.
NUS Wales Steering Group committee positions are one of the ways students shape and scrutinise NUS Wales' collective campaigning work. These committee positions are all about making sure students are an active part of decision making at NUS Wales. Will will now have an input in overseeing future NUS Wales’ conferences, and the processes for generating ideas from students and students' unions.
Also at the conference, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s student union body submitted, presented and answered questions on its 'Blended Learning in the Future' policy. Delegates voted on the student union’s policy and it has now been put forward as one of NUS Wales’ main priorities.
An eclectic range of guest speakers were in attendance, speaking on a wide range of topics: Student Mental Health - Dr Alex George, UK Youth Mental Health Ambassador within the Department for Education; In conversation with Kirsty Williams, MS, Minister for Education, and an Election Campaign Workshop - Senedd & Electoral Commission. The seminars culminated with a wide variety of speeches from NUS Wales’ delegates and NUS presidents.
The Grŵp has long established learner voice and learner engagement procedures and has a proud history of learners actively engaged in the National Student Union (NUS). Grŵp Llandrillo Menai's student union has a history of high profile positions within NUS Wales including several of our past student union presidents taking up roles on the NUS Wales Steering Committee: Carmen Ria Smith, alumni Coleg Menai student union president, was deputy president of NUS Wales.
