News article |

Colleges provide good support for learners to help them make the most of their education

Share this page

Learners in further education who are at risk of disengagement or who start their courses late are generally supported effectively. Through a combination of good advice and partnership working with other bodies, colleges assist their students on their journey to their chosen vocation.

Estyn’s report, ‘Learner support services in further education colleges for learners aged 16-19’, found that most colleges guide learners well and they provide a range of effective support to help learners take advantage of the opportunities their education and training gives them. 

Meilyr Rowlands, Chief Inspector, says: 

“Supporting learners fully at key decision-making points in their life is extremely important.  Colleges should provide the advice and guidance to keep learners engaged in their studies and to help them decide on their next career steps when they finish full-time education.”

Colleges support learners through their time in education in a number of ways.  For example, most monitor attendance to identify learners who are at risk of dropping out and provide support to help reduce absences.  Most colleges have staff who use their technical and vocational knowledge to help learners make decisions about their progression beyond further education and provide appropriate guidance.  Well-structured tutorials are delivered to help develop career planning skills.  Most colleges also use these tutorials to help learners arrange work experience and gain additional skills set out in the Welsh Government’s Careers and the world of work framework for 11 to 19-year-olds (2008).

Partnership working is an important way of supporting learners.  For example, Coleg y Cymoedd works closely with St David’s College and Cardinal Newman Roman Catholic School.  This enables Year 12 pupils from Cardinal Newman who attend Coleg y Cymoedd to maintain links with faith-based education while accessing learning opportunities at the college.

The report contains recommendations for further education colleges, local authorities and Welsh Government.  Colleges should develop a common way of measuring learners’ achievements against the Careers and the world of work framework (2008).  Local authorities should ensure all learners are aware of the support options available to them and that colleges receive timely information about the achievements and needs of learners progressing to further education.  Welsh Government should work with schools, colleges, Careers Wales and local authorities to develop a national system for collecting data on the career destinations of college-leavers. 

Notes to Editors:

About the report

  • Estyn’s report Learner support services in further education colleges for learners aged 16-19 was commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government and is available in full at https://www.estyn.gov.wales/thematic-reports

  • The findings and recommendations in this report draw on visits to:

    • Bridgend College, Bridgend

    • Coleg Sir Gar, Carmarthenshire

    • Coleg Ceredigion, Ceredigion

    • Coleg Gwent, Newport

    • Grwp Llandrillo Menai, Gwynedd

    • Merthyr Tydfil College, Merthyr Tydfil

    • Pembrokeshire College, Pembrokeshire

    • St David's Catholic College, Cardiff

    • Gower College Swansea, Swansea

    • Coleg Cambria, Flintshire

    • Coleg y Cymoedd, Rhondda Cynon Taff

    • Grwp NPTC Group, Neath Port Talbot