Visit highlights impact of Welsh-medium and bilingual education at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai
Grŵp Llandrillo Menai recently welcomed Leader of Plaid Cymru and member of Senedd, Rhun ap Iorwerth to its Bangor campus, to showcase the impact of Welsh-medium and bilingual education across the Grŵp’s colleges.
The visit provided an opportunity to demonstrate how Grŵp Llandrillo Menai is expanding Cymraeg and bilingual learning opportunities for students, apprentices and staff, thanks to funding from Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. The initiative forms part of a wider national effort to increase the use of the Welsh language in education, the workplace and everyday life.
During the visit, which was jointly organised with the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, learners and apprentices had the opportunity to share their personal experiences, explaining how studying through Cymraeg or bilingually has helped them develop valuable skills and opened up career opportunities.
Grŵp Llandrillo Menai is committed to supporting learners to develop their Welsh language skills and to access high-quality bilingual learning opportunities. This work contributes directly to the Welsh Government’s ambition to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050, while also strengthening the national skills agenda.
Angharad Roberts, Director of Bilingual Development, Learning Resources and Skills at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, said:
“Welsh-medium and bilingual provision is central to our mission of supporting learners to achieve their potential while strengthening the Welsh language in education and the workplace. Through our partnership with the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, we have been able to expand opportunities for learners and apprentices to study and train through Welsh or bilingually, helping them develop valuable skills for their future careers.
“This visit provided an important opportunity to demonstrate the positive impact that sustained investment in Welsh-medium education can have. Continued support will be vital to ensure we can grow this provision further and enable even more learners to develop the bilingual skills that are increasingly valued by employers across Wales. Thanks to Rhun ap Iorwerth for taking the time visit us”
The visit also emphasised the strategic importance of further education and Welsh-medium apprenticeships in meeting national priorities, including recommendations made by the Welsh Communities Commission.
Discussions during the visit underlined the need for continued collaboration between the tertiary education sector and the next Welsh government. Key priorities highlighted included strengthening financial support for colleges to expand Welsh-medium and bilingual pathways, improving alignment between government strategy and the tertiary education sector, and increasing the number of learners entering the workforce with the ability to work bilingually.
By bringing together policymakers, educators and learners, the visit provided a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the real impact of investment in Welsh-medium and bilingual education and to reinforce the role of further education in supporting the future of the Welsh language and a skilled bilingual workforce.
