In April 2023, Global Wales, in close partnership with ColegauCymru, organised an outward delegation to Montreal, Canada. The mission brought together further education college principals from seven institutions across Wales, marking a significant step in fostering global educational collaboration for Welsh further education.

During this mission, Global Wales organised an evening reception to coincide with the delegation activities. The reception was an opportunity to celebrate the partnership and the growing number of collaborations between institutions in Wales and Canada. It also marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CICan, ColegauCymru, and Universities Wales.

This MoU commits to the development of institutional links and collaboration in further and higher education. The key areas of focus include:

  • Short-term student and faculty mobility
  • Applied research and curriculum development related to skill acquisition and employability
  • Institutional partnerships and articulation agreements,
  • Familiarisation tours and related activities.

The delegation also included participation in an international conference, jointly hosted by the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP) and Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan). This event brought together over 1,300 post-secondary leaders and practitioners from across the world. The conference's overarching mission was to advocate, enhance capacity, and share knowledge to address issues and explore solutions within the post-secondary professional and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector, both in Canada and around the world.

As part of the delegation, in an activity organised by CICan and WFCP, the principals had the opportunity to visit a local college or 'Cégep' in Montreal – Cégep Marie Victorin. This French-language college, with over 5,000 registered learners, offered the delegation a practical, local insight into how post-16 education is delivered and managed in Quebec. It was a unique opportunity to engage in discussions about shared challenges and aspirations, further cementing the bonds of international collaboration.

Through this delegation, Global Wales continued to deliver on its objective of fostering new educational partnerships for the benefit of Wales, its institutions and their learners. As further education college principals from Wales and Canada shared their experiences, challenges, and aspirations for their institutions and learners, they laid the foundations for future dialogue on opportunities for innovation, knowledge exchange, and mutual growth. This delegation and the conversations had during it have informed and will continue to influence the development of an action plan for further education institutions to engage with partners in Canada.