The Welsh Government has announced that it is boosting investment in order to support digital learning across further education.
Further Education Colleges are to benefit from an extra £8 million worth of investment to help them be more innovative with their digital education with the funding enabling them to continue to invest in equipment and infrastructure improvements. This boost brings the total amount of investment from the government, since 2019, to £30 million.
It is expected that, thanks to this funding boost, Wales’ further education sector is to continue at the leading edge of creativity, innovation and collaboration as colleges give learners the skills and technology they require as they move into meaningful, fulfilling work.
Jeremy Miles, Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, said:
“This funding provides an exciting opportunity to harness the potential of technology to enhance the learning experience and widen access to learning opportunities for students in Wales.
“This will prepare them for progression into employment, including in high-tech industries where equipment and practices are constantly evolving.
“I want our FE sector in Wales to be at the leading edge of innovation, creativity and collaboration. I am very pleased to see many examples of this type of activity already taking place, and to be able to confirm further investment over the next few years.”
An example of a college that is taking an innovative approach to digital learning is Bridgend College. Learners at the college are benefitting already from previous government funding through the development of a high-quality video capture and streaming service to improve the experience of leaners across multiple subject areas, such as the animal care department being able to live stream animals in their habitat. This allows the learners to experience animal activity without having to be present physically.
Bridgend College’s Head of Digital Innovation and IT Services, Scott Morgan, said:
“We have used digital technology to innovate our teaching practices across a number of areas, from Hair and Beauty to Performing Arts, with great success. This has resulted in interactive learning experiences and has allowed us to use technology to support demonstrations and assessments, with significantly more used to be explored in the future.”
