Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s brand new £3m animal care facility at Coleg Glynllifon has been officially opened by Lesley Griffiths MS, Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales and Trefnydd.
The new Animal Care Centre, which was funded by Welsh Government 21st Century Schools and Colleges programme, houses the college’s full range of animal care courses, including Level 1 Land Based studies, Level 2 Animal Care and Level 3 Animal Management.
Vet Nursing and Assistant Vet Nurse Apprenticeships are also available through the new centre with a dedicated Vet Nursing Laboratory for students to prepare for external practical examinations linked to the Apprenticeship Framework.
Small animals, such as geckos, snakes, frogs and eagle owls, were moved in to the Centre following the completion of a multi-million pound renovation project during the summer, and studies commenced in September 2021.
During the official opening on Thursday (18 November), the Minister was taken on a tour of the Centre and welcomed the new development.
Speaking at the official opening at Coleg Glynllifon, Rural Affairs and North Wales Minister Lesley Griffiths MS said: “It has been a great pleasure to officially open the new Animal Care Centre at Coleg Glynllifon. It is a fantastic resource for the region, which will play a key role in developing skills and opportunities for Glynllifon learners to join the local workforce, in readiness for their future careers in the land based sector.
“It’s been great to see the impact of the Welsh Government’s investment through the 21st Century schools and colleges programme.”
Martin Jardine, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai Director of Agri-Food, said: “It is very exciting to see some of the old agricultural buildings of Glynllifon being refurbished for a new use in this way. The original buildings date back to the 1850s, and have been little used in recent decades.
“This development will build upon Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s contribution to the agricultural sector, and in particular to the animal care sector here in the North West of Wales.
“The Animal Care Centre represents a very significant investment and offers our students the best possible teaching resources and equipment. This unique facility is already proving highly popular among students and the feedback from our first cohort to study here has been exceptionally positive.”
Dafydd Evans, Chief Executive of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, said: “It was a privilege to welcome the Minister to visit the new Animal Care Centre in Glynllifon, and we are particularly grateful to the Welsh Government for supporting the development.
“This sector is a growth sector in the North Wales economy. Our hope is that it will pay dividends in jobs and opportunities over the coming decades.”
He added: “As well as this significant development, one of the main projects for the North Wales Growth deal has been earmarked for Glynllifon, to develop a £13m Rural Economy Hub.
“These developments demonstrate our commitment to the Glynllifon campus which will surely position Glynllifon as one of Wales’ leading agricultural colleges. It’s an exciting time to say the least.”
