A major new project aimed at transforming post‑16 education across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan has been given the green light with an award of £566,000 from Medr’s Strategic Development Fund.
The funding will support a collaborative initiative led by Cardiff Council, working in partnership with Vale of Glamorgan Council, Cardiff and Vale College, and St David’s Catholic Sixth Form College, to design a more inclusive, coherent and accessible post‑16 education offer for learners of all ages.
Titled “Unlocking Post‑16 Potential: Delivering Equitable Access Through Collaborative Provision Across Cardiff and the Vale”, the project aims to develop a unified approach to post‑16 education that puts learners firmly at the centre of decision‑making, while improving equity, inclusion and long‑term sustainability across the system.
The project links closely to Cardiff Council’s Education Investment Strategy, supporting the priority of working in partnership with further and higher education providers, Welsh Government and employers to create a post‑16 offer that better aligns with learner aspirations and future skills needs.
Over its initial stages, the project will establish a governance board and carry out a comprehensive review and stakeholder engagement to assess current post‑16 provision across Cardiff and the Vale. This will help identify opportunities for stronger collaboration, reduce inefficiencies, strengthen teaching quality and widen access to learning pathways across school sixth forms, further education, higher education, apprenticeships and adult learning in both Welsh and English-medium.
Later phases will explore the development of a bilingual (Welsh and English) digital platform, bringing together all post‑16 options into a single, accessible database. This will help learners better understand the choices available to them, support informed decision‑making, and enable more strategic planning across the post‑16 sector.
The long‑term ambition of the project is to drive system‑wide change across the tertiary education landscape in Cardiff and the Vale, supporting improved learner outcomes and stronger links with employers and the wider economy. Expected benefits include more efficient use of resources, increased Welsh-medium options, improved retention and progression rates, increased participation among under‑represented groups, and broader, more flexible learning pathways.
Cardiff’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry, said:
“This significant investment from Medr is a strong endorsement of our shared ambition to create a post‑16 education system that is inclusive, coherent and centred on the needs of learners.
“By working collaboratively with our partners across Cardiff and the Vale, we can remove barriers, widen access to opportunities and ensure that young people and adults alike are supported to fulfil their potential and progress into further learning, training or employment.”
Sharon James-Evans, Principal of Cardiff and Vale College, added:
“We are delighted to be part of this ambitious and forward‑thinking partnership, which places learners at the heart of shaping the future of post‑16 education across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
“This investment from Medr provides a significant opportunity to build a more coherent, inclusive and future‑focused system – one that ensures every young person and adult can access the right pathway, at the right time, to achieve their goals.
“As the largest FE College Group in Wales, delivering high‑quality further education and skills training across the region, Cardiff and Vale College is committed to working collaboratively with our partners to strengthen progression routes, widen participation and develop a truly integrated offer that reflects the needs of our communities, employers and the future economy.
“This project will help us coordinate and align provision more closely with emerging skills demands and we look forward to playing a central role in shaping a system that not only raises aspirations and outcomes, but also drives innovation and long‑term prosperity for the region.”
A spokesperson from the Vale of Glamorgan Council said:
“We are delighted to be partnering on this exciting and forward‑looking project. This investment from Medr provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen post‑16 provision across the region, ensuring that learners in the Vale of Glamorgan can access high‑quality, coherent and inclusive pathways that truly meet their aspirations. By working collaboratively, we can create a more sustainable and equitable system that supports our young people and adult learners to thrive.”
Geraint Williams, Principal and Chief Executive of St David’s Catholic Sixth Form College, said:
“We are pleased to be working alongside Cardiff Council, the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Cardiff and Vale College on this important collaborative project, and we are grateful to Medr for investing in a shared vision for post-16 education across the communities we serve.
“At St David’s, we see every day the transformational power of high-quality post-16 education, particularly for learners from diverse and under-represented backgrounds. This initiative provides a real opportunity to build a more joined-up, system across Cardiff and the Vale, one that places learners first and actively removes barriers to opportunity.
“By working together, we can strengthen pathways, widen access and ensure that young people and adult learners alike are supported to fulfil their potential and contribute confidently to the future economic and cultural life of Wales.”
