Campaign celebrates Coleg Cymraeg’s fifteenth anniversary

To celebrate its fifteenth anniversary, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol is running a national campaign to thank learners and lecturers throughout Wales for studying, training and teaching through the medium of Welsh and bilingually.

The #DIOLCHCCC campaign is running on social media platforms to mark fifteen years since the Coleg was established in 2011.

The Coleg will be saying ‘diolch’ to the learners who have played their part over the years by studying and training in Welsh. So many of them are now a vital part of bilingual workforces across various fields including Health and Care, Education, Law and the Media.

One of the those who has benefitted from Welsh-medium provision is Santhi Dosanjh from Port Talbot. Santhi was inspired to re-engage with her Welsh at Swansea University when she was persuaded to study part of her Biochemistry course through the medium of Welsh. She is now a Welsh-medium Biology teacher at Ysgol Bro Dur in Port Talbot. Santhi said:

“I’m incredibly grateful to the Coleg Cymraeg. If it wasn’t for the opportunity to study through the medium of Welsh, together with the additional support and inspiration I received from my lecturers in the Welsh language group, I would never have considered going on to teach at a Welsh-medium school.

“I don’t come from a Welsh-speaking family, but I want the pupils I teach to look at me and be inspired that they too can succeed through the Welsh language, whatever their background.”

Erin Bryfdir from Caernarfon studied her undergraduate course in Nursing through the medium of Welsh at Bangor University. Having the opportunity to continue studying through the medium of Welsh after leaving school meant a great deal to her.

Erin said: “I think it’s always a bit scary for school pupils who’ve grown up speaking Welsh when the time comes to go on to university. But I’m fortunate that I was in a school assembly one morning where I heard about the Coleg Cymraeg and that it was possible to study subjects through the medium of Welsh or bilingually.”

Erin is now working as a nurse at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, working part-time as a sister, and is also studying for a master’s degree in Advanced Clinical Practice.

Erin added: “The fact that I’ve been able to continue using Welsh throughout my career to communicate with the patients, to identify with what they say in their mother tongue so that I can convey it to the doctor, is so important. It’s a privilege that I’ve been able to be a voice for patients.”

Osian James, aged 21, had the opportunity to study an apprenticeship in Carpentry through the medium of Welsh at Coleg Ceredigion. He would like to thank his lecturer, Rhodri Morris, for creating a great experience for him at college, and for inspiring him to be ambitious.

Osian said: “I thoroughly enjoyed studying for my apprenticeship. There were about ten of us on the course – similar people to me – and we all spoke Welsh together. My biggest thanks go to the tutors who supported us every step of the way.”

Osian now works as a professional carpenter with AJ Homes in Aberystwyth.

He added: “I’m very proud that I’ve had the opportunity to train and that I’ve secured a job locally. Studying through the medium of Welsh developed my Welsh to a professional level, learning terminology on the course, and now I use the language every day with my employer, colleagues and customers.”

Dr Cai Ladd is a Coastal Geographer and works as a Welsh-medium Geography lecturer at Swansea University.

He is grateful for the opportunity to undertake a doctorate thanks to funding through the Coleg’s Research Scholarship Scheme, and to pursue a career in his field. Cai said:

“The Welsh language and Geography have both been of interest to me since I was young, and I feel fortunate that I’m now able to make a career out of both, and hope to inspire young people to follow similar paths.

“The Welsh language has no limits. I’ve had the opportunity to lead on international research across the world which has been incredibly useful in learning and understanding more about Wales’s own coasts, and to develop cutting-edge bilingual courses for students.”

Throughout the campaign, the Coleg is calling on learners, former learners and lecturers to share their stories and experiences on social media using the hashtag #DIOLCHCCC. The aim of the campaign is to draw attention to the impact of Welsh-medium and bilingual tertiary education on individuals, communities and workplaces across Wales.

Dr Ioan Matthews, Chief Executive of the Coleg Cymraeg, said: “Marking fifteen years since the Coleg was established is an important opportunity to thank all the learners who have chosen to study and train through the medium of Welsh and bilingually and to thank the lecturers who have educated and supported them every step of the way.

“They are essential to the Coleg’s mission of creating and strengthening bilingual workforces across Wales. We are incredibly proud of their contribution, and we look forward to building on the success in the years to come.

“We would also like to take the opportunity to thank all of our partners – from the national bodies to the education providers – for working with us over the years and for their contribution towards achieving the vision of creating Welsh-medium opportunities for everyone in Wales.”

For more information about the campaign, go to the Coleg’s website, and to participate, go to the @colegcymraeg social media account on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and LinkedIn.