Wrexham is fast becoming the economic and educational powerhouse of North Wales.<\/p>\n
The town is geared up to serve business with some of the highest skilled and experienced professionals and the best educated \u2013 and the best paid \u2013 young people in the country.<\/p>\n
That was the message from the business community and the men running the region’s higher and further education institutes to a meeting of 60 business leaders in Wrexham.<\/p>\n
Sir Jon Shortridge, the Chancellor of Glyndwr University, told a meeting of Wrexham Business Professionals at the Ramada Hotel that it is top of the Welsh league for employment opportunities.<\/p>\n
Later this year the merger of two of Wales\u2019s top-performing Further Education colleges,\u00a0 Deeside College and Yale College, Wrexham.<\/p>\n
David Jones, the Chief Executive and Principal of Deeside College in Connah\u2019s Quay, is the man chosen to lead the new college which will be launched on August 1.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cColeg Cambria will be the 1oth biggest Further Education college in the UK with a budget of \u00a365 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cExpectations are high and Yale and Deeside together must be able to do more than we are doing because otherwise there\u2019s no point in merging.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to drive out wasteful costs and put those savings out into the front line and provide more and better and do that in what is a challenging economic environment.<\/p>\n
He stressed the importance of the links between the new college and businesses in North East Wales and he said: \u201cIt is not just about students walking out with rafts of certificates.\u00a0 If they\u2019re not able to work in your businesses than we\u2019re not fit for purpose.<\/p>\n
The link between education and business is important and Yale and Deeside are two of the highest performing colleges in Wales and we score very well in working with employers, our finances are very good.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the most recent financial year we both had surpluses of over \u00a32 million and as a percentage of income that would put Yale at the top of the Welsh table with Deeside second.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do see ourselves as businesses and if we don\u2019t provide the best business products then we won\u2019t be around for very long \u2013 we have to manage really, really well, just like the best businesses do.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to be the best college in Wales and the best in the UK and we are working with Glyndwr University to get into the international market as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cColeg Cambria is a very exciting opportunity and we\u2019re very, very ambitious about what we want to do and that\u2019s about making North East Wales and Wrexham a place where people have got jobs and where people want to come to work\u201d.<\/p>\n
According to Sir Jon, he was keen to establish a close relationship between Glyndwr University and Coleg Cambria.<\/p>\n
He explained that 99 per cent of the university’s intake came from state schools and that they were in the top ten in the UK for students from deprived area.<\/p>\n
Sir Jon added: “We achieve the highest employment rates for its graduated in Wales.\u00a0 Ninety-four per cent of our graduates are in employment within six months or are continuing in education and that\u2019s the best performance in Wales.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe starting salaries they receive are the second highest in Wales \u2013 only Cardiff University students will get into jobs with higher starting salaries and we\u2019re about 12 per cent above average for starting salaries.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur student fees are also the lowest in Wales so we take students from some of the poorest backgrounds and give them huge employment opportunities and charge less than any other university in Wales.<\/p>\n
\u201cGlyndwr is also a most entrepreneurial university in Wales \u2013 we bought the Wrexham football ground, we bough Optic centre in St Asaph and at our own risk we are undertaking world-leading research there into mirrors for extra large telescopes.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur big contribution to research has been commended both by David Willetts, the Universities and Science Minister, and the Prime Minister, David Cameron.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are a community-based university which puts \u00a3100 million into the local economy any which supports local employers ad particularly local businesses, providing tailored opportunities for staff to get qualifications while in employment\u201d.<\/p>\n
The meeting also heard from Neil Ashbridge, the Bank of England\u2019s Agent for Wales, who gave an off-the-record private briefing about the current economic situation and the outlook for the future, and Stephen Waring, the founder of lawn care company GreenThumb, who has developed his business into a multi-million pound franchise operation.<\/p>\n
Anthony Lewis, of Chartered Accountants Coxeys, a member of Wrexham Business Professionals, agreed it was vitally important for businesses and education to work closely.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIn coming together we can identify the skills needed to enable businesses to become more successful.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important that Universities and Colleges develop courses which provide all the skills business and industry needs to help them develop.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a business person and an employer and from what our clients tell us the business community like to clear training and career paths from school to further and higher education and into work.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means providing the right people with the right skills \u2013 small and medium sized businesses don\u2019t have the skills to manage that transition themselves and need that support to come from the educators.<\/p>\n
\u201cNorth East Wales in general and Wrexham in particular is becoming an economic and educational power house that\u2019s making a huge increasing contribution to the regional economy\u201d.<\/p>\n
The guest speakers at the next meeting of Wrexham Business Professionals on June 11 will be retired industrialist and
\nformer Lord Lieutenant Trefor Jones CBE CVO and business guru Professor Dylan Jones-Evans. For more information contact Nicola Mathews at Coxeys on 01978 355477.<\/strong><\/p>\n