£1.1m EU investment to boost education services for young people in Gwynedd and Anglesey
30 May 2014 03:56 PM
A £1.1m EU
investment package to help boost post -16 education services across Gwynedd and
Anglesey will be announced by First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones AM
today.
Backed with £650,000 from
the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government, the Gwynedd and Anglesey
Learning Partnership plan to develop an area of excellence in the way that
education and training is delivered. The aim is to provide a more
cost-effective and efficient approach by bringing some 16 partners together to
work for the benefit of young people.
Speaking ahead of a visit to the
Urdd Eisteddfod in Meirionnydd, the First Minister said:
"It is more important now
than ever to ensure we continually improve the way in which we deliver public
services while providing value for money. I am pleased to see that EU Funds are
helping to forge a spirit of partnership to ensure excellence in education and
training for our young people so they can improve their career prospects and
achieve success in the workplace."
Cllr Siân Gwenllian, Chair
of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Post-16 Education Consortium Leadership Board
said:
"We are committed to
ensuring that we can offer the best possible opportunities for the area’s
young people. This pioneering agreement is the culmination of much hard work
and partnership working between schools, colleges and councils across Gwynedd
and Anglesey.
"Our aim is to ensure
effective collaboration so that we can provide our young people with more
opportunities and equip them with the necessary skills for the world of work in
this area."
The aim of the partnership is to
widen learning choices, increase participation - particularly for those living
in rural areas - and meet labour market needs, focusing on emerging sectors
such as energy, environment, science, and the creative
industries.
It will target individuals
between 16 and19 year-olds in schools and colleges before expanding to provide
further services through work based learning and adult community
learning.
It is hoped that the system will
enhance existing services and act as a model which could be rolled out across
other parts of Wales.
This project is unique because it brings together 16 public service partners
across the two counties, including all public sector learning institutions -
the first time such a partnership has been established in
Wales.
The Learning Partnership
consists of Gwynedd and Anglesey Head teachers as well as college principals
Dafydd Evans (Coleg Menai) and Ian Rees (Coleg Meirion
Dwyfor).
EU projects delivering in North
Wales (Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey and Wrexham)
have already assisted some 99,250 individuals, of which 31,400 have gained
qualifications, 6,800 helped into work. In addition, 2,000 enterprises
and 5,270 jobs have been created