New plans for the future of Wales' oldest university announced

Proposals for the future of Wales oldest university have been announced by Ceredigion County Council and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD).

The future of UWTSD’s Lampeter campus had been in doubt since last year when it was confirmed that Humanities courses are being moved from Lampeter to Carmarthen in September, ending more than 200 years of academia in the town.

The decision sparked concern among staff, local business owners and residents, who launched a petition in November last year that has since attracted over 5,000 signatures.

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Post-16 vocational education

Following discussions between the Council and the University, plans to deliver post-16 vocational education on the campus, with particular emphasis on skills-based courses critical to the rural economy, such as agriculture, horticulture, gastronomy and construction, have been revealed.

In a related development, the council has now secured the purchase of a farm adjacent to the campus.

Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of Ceredigion County Council said: “We are pleased to now be in a position to share these exciting plans. We know how important the Lampeter campus is to the town and the wider community. Our ambition is to help to secure a sustainable future for the campus and to ensure that it continues to make a significant contribution to the regional economy.

“The vocational courses that we plan to offer will enable us to develop the skills required to meet employer needs around the region. The campus has significant potential. We will continue to work with UWTSD to explore the opportunity with a view to increasing the breadth of courses the campus can support over the next few years. It is important that learners can stay in their communities to learn and to be able to succeed in their chosen fields, whilst staying in Ceredigion”

Over the next three years, a range of vocational courses and skills-based programmes are going to be made available at the Lampeter campus. The Council will also look to provide additional community facilities on the site.

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'Exciting opportunity'

Emlyn Dole, Chair of UWTSD Council said: “The UWTSD Group, which includes Coleg Ceredigion, is pleased to be working with Ceredigion County Council on this exciting opportunity for the Lampeter campus. The plan announced today reflects our shared ambition to build a brighter future for Lampeter, one that is centred around creating new education and learning opportunities, strengthening community links and supporting the rural economy.

“This project will also ensure greater integration between the campus and Lampeter town, and I have no doubt that co-locating a significant number of post-16 learners on the campus will have a welcome impact on the local economy. We are grateful for the Council’s support and look forward to bringing this vision to life.”

A series of public meetings will be held in the coming months to discuss the plans and how they complement the ideas put forward by Lampeter Town Council and the Key Stakeholder Group convened by the University earlier this year.