The Education Workforce Council (EWC) has joined other organisations across Wales in taking part in the Defnyddia Dy Gymraeg (Use your Welsh) campaign.

The campaign, spearheaded by the Welsh Language Commissioner, is a call to action for organisations and individuals to embrace and utilise the Welsh language in their daily interactions. Be that at home, at work, when socialising, and when using services.  

Hayden Llewellyn, Chief Executive of the EWC said “As a fully bilingual organisation operating in Wales, we recognise the cultural richness and significance of the Welsh language.

“For those looking to access our services, we make it a priority that our information, support, and resources can be accessed seamlessly in both Welsh and English.

“As an employer, we aim to create an inclusive environment that respects and celebrates the linguistic diversity of our staff, encouraging them to use their Welsh throughout their working day”.

As a public sector organisation, the EWC is required to comply with a number of Welsh language standards. You can read the latest annual monitoring report on the website which provides information on their compliance and outlines how have implemented the standards.

For further information on the bilingual services the EWC offers, visit the website.

The Education Workforce Council (EWC) has welcomed proposals from Welsh Government seeking to amend the Regulations governing the membership of fitness to practise committees.

In response to a consultation, which closed on 1 December 2023, the EWC thanked Welsh Government for taking action on concerns raised by the independent professional regulator around the existing legislation.

Under current legislation, every committee must feature at least one registrant from the same registrant category as the person facing proceedings. This becomes challenging when sourcing members to sit on committees involving registrants from those categories with fewer registrant numbers, such as youth work.

If implemented, the proposals would give the EWC more flexibility to appoint members from a wider pool.

In his response on behalf of the EWC, Chief Executive Hayden Llewellyn said “We are pleased that Welsh Government are proactively addressing the concerns we have raised around sourcing appropriate fitness to practise committee members.

“The timeliness of this is all the more important given the recent expansion of categories required to registered with us, and the potential new categories expected from April 2024.”

The response is available to read in full on the EWC’s website.

The Education Workforce Council (EWC) has published its response to a Welsh Government consultation which proposes changes to education regulation in Wales.

The consultation, which closed on 21 November 2023, suggests adding two new categories to the list of those required to register with the EWC; senior managers and principals working in further education (FE) institutions, and practitioners of community-based adult learning. It also proposes the introduction of minimum qualifications for those working as FE teachers and community-based adult learning practitioners.

In its response, the EWC was supportive of both proposals having previously highlighted gaps in legislation.

Currently, adult learning practitioners based with Welsh Government funded work-based learning providers are required to register, but not those based in local authorities or the community.  Similarly, headteachers and senior leaders in schools are currently required to be registered, but not those in FE institutions.

Publishing the response on behalf of the EWC, Hayden Llewellyn, Chief Executive said “We are pleased that Welsh Government are taking steps to close the anomalies that currently exist in the legislation and welcome further discussions on a small number that remain.

“Registration and minimum qualifications are common practice in regulated professions. The proposed changes in this consultation will help bring our education workforce more in line with others across not just Wales, but the world”.

The response is available to read in full on the EWC’s website.

ProMo Cymru, Youth Cymru, and Swansea YMCA have been announced as the latest recipients of the Quality Mark for Youth Work (QMYW) in Wales.

ProMo Cymru became the latest organisation to achieve the bronze award, Youth Cymru received both the bronze and silver, and Swansea YMCA received silver.

Administered by the Education Workforce Council (EWC), the QMYW is a national award which supports and recognises improving standards in the provision and performance of organisations that deliver youth work services. In order to receive the accreditation, youth work organisations must self-assess against a set of quality standards and pass an external assessment.

To achieve the bronze, organisations demonstrated that they have appropriate leadership and governance, effective monitoring and evaluation processes, are safe, and act within a legal framework of policies. They also showed that they provide a welcoming and safe environment for young people who can access trusted and skilled staff and volunteers.

In achieving the silver, Youth Cymru and Swansea YMCA demonstrated that they promote inclusive practice, celebrate equality and diversity, plan their provision to meet the needs of young people, ensure that activities make an impact on young people and their outcomes, and deliver their services by an appropriately experienced and qualified workforce who involve young people in decision-making.

Marco Gil-Cervantes, Chief Executive at ProMo Cymru, said, “We are very proud of the young people we work with, our staff and achieving the bronze Quality Mark. The process has positively helped guide us into the future.”

EWC’s Development Officer for the QMYW, Andrew Borsden said “I would like to extend my congratulations to all three organisations on their recent achievements.

“These awards formally recognise the hard work and commitment staff at all of the organisations make each day in support of young people across Wales. Well done to everybody involved.”

The EWC are currently recruiting QMYW assessors. You don’t need any specific qualifications to become an assessor, but it helps if you're passionate about celebrating youth work in Wales and have an interest in quality assurance.

For more information about becoming an assessor, and about the QMYW in general, visit the EWC’s website.