1. The future of working together in Wales: a shared vision.
Euros Evans
Chair
AGCAS Cymru Wales
MANY THANKS TO HELEN FOR THE WARM WELCOME AND PROVIDING US WITH SUCH AN EXCELLENT START TO THE CONFERENCE – SO MANY THANKS
TODAYS WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TOGETHER –
TO NETWORK – AND TO HELP SHAPE THE FURURE OF AGCAS CYMRU WALES
BEFORE I SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE THINKING BEHIND WHY WE DECIDED TO ESTABLISH AGCAS CYMRU WALES
I WOULD LIIKE TO TAKE THE TIME TO THANK THOSE WHO HAVE MADE TODAY POSSIBLE
IT HIGHLIGHTS I THINK THE EXCELLENT COLLABORATIVE WORKING THAT ALREADY EXISTS IN WAES

2. 1ST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY OF THANKING ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY
MANY NEW FACES AND SOME FAMILIAR ONES
IF NOTHING ELSE TODAY WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN BRINGING YOU TOGETHER
OVER 90 DELEGATES WHICH IS FANTASTIC
THE CULTURE WE WISH TO DEVELOP IS ONE OF SHARED COLLABORATION FOR ALL STAFF WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE
I HOPE THAT STARTS TODAY
2NDLY TODAYS EVENT HAS BEEN KINDLY SPONSORED BY TARGET CONNECT
WE THANKS THEM FOR THEIR SUPPORT
PARTIUCLARLY MARK BLYTHE – SO MANY THANKS
3RDLY OUR FIRST CONFERENCE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT AGCAS WHO ENTHUSISTICALLY SUPPORTED US FROM THE BEGINNING -
AS PART OF THEIR REGINAL STRATEGY FOR OUR PORFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
ELAINE BOYCE (CHIEF EXECUTIVE) HAS ALWAYS PROVIDED SOUND ADVICE AND SUPPORT
OUR NEXT SPEAKER SHELAGH GREEN WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF AGCAS WILL PROVIDE US WITH THE NATIONAL CONTEXT -
AND UPDATE US ON NEW DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN AGCAS … AND SCOTLAND
(4TH) LAST OF ALL – A SMALL AND ENTHUSIASTIC WORKING GROUP HAS MADE TODAY POSSIBLE – IT HAS BEENA REAL COLLABOARTIVE EFFORT
SO A BIG THANK YOU MUST GO TO
JANE GOODFELLOW – VICE CHAIR OF AGCAS WALES WHO HAS BEEN A DRIVINGFORCE BEHIND ORGANISING THE CONFERENCE
HOWEVER SHE HAS HAD A BETTER OFFER AND IS NOW IN CHINA !
MANY THANKS TO RHIAN AND SEAN FROM CARDIFF
LLOYD WILLIAMS FROM USW
SIAN FROM ABERYSTWYTH
AND GARETH FROM SWANSEA
LAST OF ALL A HUGE THANKS TO GEMMA AND STACEY FROM THE USW CONFRENECE TEAM FOR THEIR PATIENCE AND PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE AT ALL TIMES
SO AS YOU CAN APPRECIATE ORGANSIING THIS CONFERENCE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PSSIBLE WITHOUT A CONSIDERABLE AMOPUNT OF TEAM WORK

3. Building on success – Team Wales !
SOME BACKGROUND TO START WITH
AT THE START OF THIS YEAR THE BOARD OF AGCAS AGREED TO ESTABLISH AGCAS CYMRU WALES WHICH REFLECTED THEIR STARTEGIC VISION FOR WORKING AT A REGIONAL LEVELS
THIS WAS THEN ENDORSED BY ‘UNIVERSITIES WALES’ – THE VICE CHANCELLORS GROUP
SINCE THEN WE HAVE SET OUR IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES FOR THE FIRST YEAR WHICH HAS CULMINATED IN THIS INAUGRAL CONFERENECE
BUILDING ON SUCCESS – TEAM WALES
AGCAS CYMRU WALES BUILDS ON A GREAT DEAL OF COLLABOARTIVE WORK WHICH HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN A PART OF WORKING IN HIGHER EDUCATION
INDEED I REMEMBER WHEN I STARTED WORKING IN HE BEING EXTREMELLY IMPRESSES WITH HOW SUPPORTIVE EVERYONE WAS
AND THAT SHARING BEST PRACTISE WAS SUCH A POSITIVE BENEFIT AND A HUGE BONUS TO MY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
IN WALES WHECS WAS ESTABLISHED SOME 20 YEARS AGO AS A COLLBORATIVE GROUP BY HEADS OF SERVICE AND REPRESENTED HE CAREERS SERVICES
ACHIVEMENT’S HAVE INCLUDED DEVELOPING A PAN WALES PLACEMENT PROGRAMME WHICH DEVELOPED INTO GO WALES
THE AGCAS BIENNIAL CONFERENCE WAS HOSTED HERE IN WALES IN 1999
IN JANUARY 2012 CARDIFF AS A CITY HOSTED THE AGCAS HEADS OF SERVICE CONFEREENCE
WHECS HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH WELSH GOVERNMENT AND HEFCW AND HAS HAD REPRESENATION ON REGIONAL AND NATIONAL GROUPS
HOWEVER DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS WE HAVE SEEN A GREAT DEAL OF CHANG IN THE WORK WE DO AND CHALLENGES
IN SOME RESPECTS THIS CAN FOCUS OR INTENTIONS ON INTERNAL PRIORITIES WITHIN OUR INSTITUTIONS WHICH CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING WE DO
THE DANGER IS THAT WE BECOMETOO INWARD LOOKING AND FOR OUR PROFESSIONAL WORK IN RAISING THE ASPIRATIONS OF OUR STUDENTS THERE IS A DANGER IN DOING JUST THAT

4. Dimensions of Employability
Curriculum Design & Delivery
Work Experience
Student Enterprise
Strategic Integration
NSS
Graduate Outcomes
Student Experience
Careers Advice & Planning
Employer events
Online delivery
Graduate Attributes
Open Days
Welcome Week
Staff Development
THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE ARE MORE DIVERSE NOW THAN EVER BEFORE AND WILL VARY IN HOW THEY AR BEEING DELEVERED DEPENDING ON THE PRIORITIES OF OUR INSTITUTIONS
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER THEY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING AND REFLECT THE STUDENT JOURNEY ...
OUR WORK HAS VERY MUCH INFORMED TODAYS CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
THESE ARE COMPLEX AND OFTEN CHALLENGING ISSUES
SUPPORING EACH OTHER WITH DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES IS SOMETHING WHICH WILL UNDERPIN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGCAS CYMRU WALES

5. Why AGCAS Cymru Wales ? WHECS AFTER 20 YEARS NEEDED TO BE REFRESHED
REPRESENTED JUST THE HEADS OF SERVICES
NEEDED TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE OF ALL STAFF
MANY NEW STAFF START
STRATEGIC FIT WITH THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL FOR AGCAS AND THE REGIOAL AGENDA
MAYBE OTHER INIATIVES HAVE HIJACKED OTHER OPPORTUNITEIS FOR COLLABORATION
THE TIME SEEMS TO BE RIGHT TO GIVE IT A GO
TODAY IS ANENDORSEMENT OF THAT

6. What are our priorities !
Research Projects
Collective Voice
Professional Development
OUR SHORT TERM PRIORITIES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING
PROFFESIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH COLLABOARTION – WITHIN WALES AND CONNECTED NATIOANLLY THROUGH AGCAS
A SURVEY WAS CONDICTED ON THE TRAINING NEEDS OF STAFF AND THI S HAS INFORMED SOME OF OUR THINKING
THE SESSIOJN THI AFTERNOON WIL COVER THIS IN MORE DETAIL
2. APPLIED RESEARCH – POTENTIAL FOR INFLUENCING SOME CRITICAL ASPECTS OF POLICY MAKING IN RELATION TO EMPLOYABILITY
EXAMPLE – RELATED TO GRADAUATE OUTCOMES IN WALES / DEPRAVATION AND ASPIRATION – AN ISSUE ALSO FOR HE STUDENTS
3.PR AND COMMUNICATION – PROMOTE THE WORK WE DO AND THE VALUE OF HE
AN INDEPENDENT VOICE
DEVELOPMENT OF ONLINE PLATFORMS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

7. A shared vision !
Expert organisation for higher education in relation to student career development and graduate employment
We support the best possible outcomes not only for individuals but our institutions, society and the economy
Recognised as the expert organisation for policy development in relation to employability
Professional standards and development
Collaborative projects and applied research
WE HAVE DEVELOPED A DRAFT TERM OF REFERENCE
CONNECTED TO THE AGCAS VISION
SEE ABOVE LIST

8. Shaping the future !
Collaboration which benefits us as individuals, our students and institutions -
Inclusive professional networking
Sharing best practise
Working Groups
Conferences and training events
Shaping the future together
Informed research & development
Sharing expertise and resources
Influence on regional and sector policy
Enabling and supporting the work you do
Enrichment and a broader perspective
SHAPING THE FUTURE
WHAT BENEFITS SHOULD YOU GET OUT OF TODFAY
SEE LIST
CERATINLY A SENSE EOF BELONGING TO A WIDER GROUP OUTSIDE YOUR INSITITION WHICH CAN HELP THE WORK YOU DO FOR YOUR INSTITUTION

9. Have an enjoyable & useful day !
THIS CAN ALL START TODAY
NOW IS A GRAET OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
IT GIVES YOU A VOICE IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF AGCAS CYMRU WALES
AND GIVES YOUSOME OWNERSHIP WHICH WILL HELP YOU WITH YOUR OWN DEVELOPMENT
HAVE A GREAT DAY !