Pa rôl y mae colegau yn ei chwarae wrth…

Mae'n debygol iawn mai coleg fydd mewnwelediad gwirioneddol cyntaf ffoadur i'r gymdeithas leol. Mae’n debygol mai dyma’r lle cyntaf y byddan nhw’n cael eu trwytho i fywyd ymhlith pobl leol – boed hynny ar y bws ar eu ffordd i’w campws lleol, yn y caffeteria amser cinio, neu’n cerdded ar hyd y coridorau i’w gwers. Mae gan golegau le arbennig o fewn eu cymunedau lleol, maent yn flaenllaw wrth weithio mewn partneriaeth â chyrff lleol eraill, ac yn hanfodol wrth hyrwyddo symudedd cymdeithasol a dyheadau trwy ddysgu - ar unrhyw oedran. Gweithio gyda, a chefnogi pobl y rhanbarth i ennill sgiliau a gwella eu dyfodol yw nod allweddol Grŵp Llandrillo Menai – a dyna’r rheswm y dylai gofal a chefnogaeth ffoaduriaid fod ar flaen ein gweithrediadau.

Yma yng Ngrŵp Llandrillo Menai, rydym ar hyn o bryd yn cefnogi dros 300 o ffoaduriaid o Wcrain a thua 150 o ffoaduriaid o Afghanistan a Syria, o bob oed a chefndir. Ein nod yw eu helpu i integreiddio i gymdeithas Gogledd Cymru, a’u cefnogi mewn cymaint o ffyrdd â phosibl.

Mae colegau, trwy gefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru, yn sicrhau bod pob ffoadur yn cael mynediad i addysg trwy warantu eu bod yn cael lle ar gwrs galwedigaethol, academaidd neu ESOL priodol - yn dibynnu ar eu hyfedredd Saesneg.

Yn ein colegau ym Mangor, Llandrillo-yn-Rhos a’r Rhyl, tanysgrifir i gyrsiau llawn amser ‘Saesneg ar gyfer Siaradwyr Ieithoedd Eraill’ (ESOL) yn llawn, tra bod cyrsiau ESOL rhan-amser hefyd yn profi niferoedd uchel o ymrestriadau. Mae tiwtoriaid SSIE wrthi'n addasu testunau gwersi i sicrhau nad yw materion sensitif yn cael eu trafod na'u haddysgu yn y dosbarth. Gan y gallai llawer o ffoaduriaid gael anawsterau wrth wneud eu ffordd i’r coleg, neu fyw’n wledig, gellir cael mynediad i wersi ar-lein trwy ‘Google Classroom’ a’r swyddogaeth fideo ‘Meet’, fel bod y dysgwyr hynny’n dal i allu cael mynediad i’r addysg. Rhoddir cyfle i ffoaduriaid ddysgu rhywfaint o Gymraeg hefyd, os ydynt yn dymuno gwneud hynny.

Fodd bynnag, gall colegau fynd y tu hwnt i gynnig gwasanaethau addysgol yn unig.

Efallai y bydd angen cymorth ar ffoaduriaid hefyd gyda gwasanaethau cyfieithu ar gyfer anghenion o ddydd i ddydd; boed hynny os oes angen help arnynt i agor cyfrif banc, cofrestru gyda’r feddygfa leol, neu archebu lle yn y feithrinfa leol i’w plant. Efallai y bydd angen cymorth hefyd o ran tai, cymorth ariannol a lles. Mae Colegau ac Awdurdodau Lleol yn gweithio law yn llaw i gynorthwyo newydd-ddyfodiaid i'r cymunedau lleol.

O fewn Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, mae pob ffoadur wedi’i enwebu’n Diwtor Personol, yn ogystal â Mentor o dîm Gwasanaethau Dysgwyr y Grŵp, a chynigir y sesiynau cofrestru wythnosol gydag ef. Gall y Mentoriaid hyn gynnig arweiniad ar elusennau lleol sy’n gallu darparu dillad a phethau ymolchi, a darparu cymorth drwy gofrestru am gymorth ariannol.

Mae cwnselwyr yn ein tîm Gwasanaethau Dysgwyr yn gallu eu cefnogi gyda’u lles, a gallant hefyd gael mynediad at gyngor a chymorth ariannol hefyd. Fel Grŵp, rydym yn cydnabod yr heriau ariannol sy’n wynebu’r myfyrwyr hyn ac felly rydym yn rhoi benthyg gliniaduron a donglau WiFi i ffoaduriaid, ac yn hepgor unrhyw gostau sy’n gysylltiedig â’r cwrs megis ffioedd arholiadau a gwerslyfrau sydd eu hangen ar gyfer eu cwrs.

Mae galluogi a grymuso lleisiau ein myfyrwyr presennol mor bwysig, a dyna pam y gwnaethom agor un o’n campysau dros nos yn ôl ym mis Mawrth 2022 – i ddarparu ar gyfer myfyrwyr Datblygu Gemau a gynhaliodd ffrwd fyw 24 awr ar Twitch. Roedd y myfyrwyr hynny’n awyddus i godi arian ar gyfer yr apeliadau brys yn yr Wcrain, ac wedi llwyddo i gronni dros £1,600 mewn rhoddion. Gallwch ddarganfod mwy am eu hymdrech codi arian wych yma. Cynhaliodd Grŵp Llandrillo Menai ddiwrnod codi arian yn ôl ym mis Mawrth 2022 hefyd, lle anogwyd myfyrwyr i wisgo glas a melyn mewn undod â'r Wcráin a'i phobl. Llwyddodd staff a myfyrwyr i gyfrannu at Apêl Ddyngarol Wcráin y Pwyllgor Argyfwng Trychinebau (DEC), ac yn y diwedd fe wnaethom godi cannoedd o bunnoedd.

Mae wedi rhoi ymdeimlad o falchder mawr i mi ein gweld fel Grŵp yn cyd-dynnu a chynnig ein llaw i gefnogi’r rhai sydd wedi ffoi o’u gwlad annwyl oherwydd rhyfel. Rydym wedi gofyn i Larysa Yushchenko, sy’n astudio gyda ni ar hyn o bryd, i rannu ei phrofiadau yng Ngrŵp Llandrillo Menai;

Cyrhaeddodd Larysa ym mis Ebrill 2022. Yn ystod ei chyfnod gyda ni, mae hi, ynghyd â Anastasiia a dau ffrind arall, wedi trefnu cyfres o gyngherddau i ddod â phobl Wcrain lleol ynghyd ac i ddathlu eu diwylliant, eu traddodiadau a'u hiaith. Dywedodd hi,

“Roedden ni eisiau trefnu’r cyngherddau i godi arian ar gyfer ein pobol sy’n dal yn yr Wcrain, sydd mewn angen dirfawr am fanciau pŵer, dillad cynnes a meddyginiaeth oherwydd prinder pŵer. Roedd ein darlithwyr yng Ngholeg Menai yn bresennol i’n cefnogi ac fe wnaethant hyd yn oed ein helpu gyda’r testun ar bosteri i hyrwyddo’r digwyddiadau, a gwnaethant ein helpu i sicrhau eu bod yn gallu ynganu popeth. Mae’r coleg mor gefnogol i ni. Mae fy nhiwtoriaid yn wych. Mae Roz yn berson hyfryd, yn garedig iawn, yn galon agored, ac yn athrawes dda iawn"

Mae'r dystiolaeth hyn yn dod â mi yn ôl at fy nghwestiwn gwreiddiol -

Pa rôl y mae colegau yn ei chwarae wrth gefnogi ffoaduriaid i integreiddio i gymdeithas?

Rwy’n meddwl ei bod yn glir ar hyn o bryd pa mor hanfodol yw hi mewn gwirionedd bod colegau’n harneisio’r ystod eang o gymorth ac adnoddau sydd ganddynt er mwyn cefnogi ffoaduriaid i wneud i le deimlo’n ddiogel, yn groesawgar ac ychydig yn debycach i gartref. Mae llwyddiant y digwyddiadau a drefnwyd gan Larysa ac Anastassia yn dyst i’r ffaith ein bod fel sefydliadau addysg bellach nid yn unig yn cefnogi’r unigolion yn academaidd ond hefyd yn eu helpu i integreiddio i’n cymunedau, ac edrychaf ymlaen at fynychu un o’r cyngherddau yn fuan.

Aled Jones-Griffith

Pennaeth Coleg Menai a Choleg Meirion-Dwyfor,

Pennaeth Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol

College will very likely be a refugee's first real insight into the local society. It’s likely to be the first place where they will be immersed into life amongst locals - be it on the bus on their way to their local campus, in the cafeteria at lunchtime, or walking along the corridors to their lesson. Colleges have a special place within their local communities, they are prominent in working in partnership with other local bodies, and are essential in promoting social mobility and aspirations through learning - at any age. Working with, and supporting the people of the region to gain skills and improving their future is Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s key aim - and it is for this reason that the care and support of refugees should be amongst the forefront of our operations.

Here at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, we are currently supporting over 300 Ukrainian refugees and around 150 refugees from Afghanistan and Syria, from all ages and backgrounds. It’s our aim to help them to integrate into North Wales society, and to support them in as many ways as possible.

Colleges, through the support of Welsh Government, are ensuring that all refugees have access to education through guaranteeing that they’re provided with a place on an appropriate vocational, academic or ESOL course - depending on their English language proficiency.

At our colleges in Bangor, Rhos-on-Sea and Rhyl, full-time ‘English for Speakers of Other Languages’ (ESOL) courses are subscribed to at full capacity, whilst part-time ESOL courses are also experiencing high enrolment numbers. ESOL tutors are actively adapting lesson topics to ensure sensitive matters are not discussed or taught in class. As many refugees may have difficulties making their way into college, or live rurally, lessons can be accessed online via ‘Google Classroom’ and the ‘Meet’ video function, so that those learners are still able to access the education. Refugees are given the opportunity to learn some Welsh too, if they wish to do so.

However, colleges are able to go beyond the offering of just educational services.

Refugees may also need assistance with translation services for day-to-day needs; be that if they need help to open a bank account, register with the local doctors’ surgery, or book a space at the local nursery for their children. Support may also be required in terms of housing, financial aid, and wellbeing. Colleges and Local Authorities are working hand in hand to assist new arrivals to the local communities.

Within Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, each refugee has been nominated a Personal Tutor, as well as a Mentor from within the Grŵp’s Learner Services team, with whom they are offered weekly check-ins. These Mentors can offer guidance on local charities that can provide clothing and toiletries, and provide support by registering for financial support.

Counsellors within our Learner Services team are able to support them with their wellbeing, and they can also access financial advice and support too. As a Grŵp, we recognise the financial challenges facing these students and are therefore loaning out laptops and WiFi dongles to refugees, and wavering any course-related costs such as exam fees and textbooks required for their course.

Enabling and empowering our existing students’ voices is so important, which is why we opened up one of our campuses overnight back in March 2022 - to accommodate Games Development students who held a 24-hour live stream on Twitch. Those students were eager to fundraise for the emergency appeals in Ukraine, and managed to accumulate over £1,600 in donations. You can find out more about their fantastic fundraising effort here. Grŵp Llandrillo Menai also held a fundraising day back in March 2022, where students were encouraged to wear blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine and its people. Staff and students were able to donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, and in the end we raised hundreds of pounds.

It has given me a great sense of pride to see us as a Grŵp pull-together and offer our hand in support to those who have fled their beloved country due to war. We have asked two Ukrainians, who are currently studying with us, to share their experiences at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai;

Anastasiia Volochai, has been in Wales since May 2022, and currently lives with a host family. When she first arrived, her English language skills were basic, however - she is now confidently fluent. She explained,

“My tutor, Steve, is a really kind and helpful person. He’s an extremely supportive person who always does his best to help you to understand the work. I am really happy to be in his class. College has helped me so much. I am thankful to college for the opportunity to learn English. My biggest dream was to come to the UK and study English. I’m grateful to the college for providing books and laptops to support me, and for assisting me with grant applications”.

Larysa Yushchenko arrived in April 2022. During her time with us, she, along with Anastasiaa and two other friends, have organised a series of concerts to bring local Ukrainians together and to celebrate their culture, traditions and language. She said,

“We wanted to organise the concerts to fundraise for our people still in Ukraine, who are in desperate need of power banks, warm clothes and medicine due to power shortages. Our Coleg Menai lecturers attended to support us and they even helped us with the text on posters to promote the events, and they helped us to ensure they could pronounce everything”

“College is so supportive to us. My tutors are great. Rose is a wonderful person, very kind, open-hearted, and very good teacher. I view her as a maternal figure. She should win a best teacher award!”

These testimonies bring me back to my original question -

What role do colleges play in supporting refugees to integrate into society?

I think it’s rather clear at this stage how vital it truly is that colleges harness the wide range of support and resources they have in order to support refugees to make a place feel safe, welcoming and a little more like home. The success of the events organised by Larysa and Anastassia is testament to the fact that as further education establishments, we not only support the individuals academically but also help them to integrate into our communities, and I look forward to attending one of the concerts soon.

Aled Jones-Griffith

Principal of Coleg Menai and Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor,

Head of Adult and Community Learning