Celebrating 10 Years of Novus Cambria: A Decade of Learning, Skills and Opportunity

Novus Cambria is celebrating 10 years of supporting learners at HMP Berwyn through education, skills and opportunities for positive change.

For the past decade, Novus Cambria has brought together the expertise of Novus and Coleg Cambria to provide learning and skills opportunities for people in custody at HMP Berwyn.

As we mark this 10-year milestone, it is an opportunity to recognise the colleagues who have supported learners throughout that journey, celebrate the achievements of learners and reflect on how the partnership has developed over the past decade.

A partnership built around learners

Novus Cambria was established through a partnership between Novus and Coleg Cambria to deliver learning and skills at HMP Berwyn.

From the outset, the partnership has brought together experience in prison education with the expertise of a leading further education college, creating a learning provision tailored to the needs of learners at HMP Berwyn and the wider North Wales community.

The partnership has continued to develop over the past 10 years, with education spanning essential skills, vocational training, employability, digital learning and enrichment.

The focus throughout has remained on giving learners the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to progress, both during their time in custody and when preparing for release.

Thousands of learners supported through education

The impact of the work can be seen in the number of learners who have been supported and the qualifications they have achieved.

The new Novus Cambria contract started in 2023 and during the previous Novus Cambria contract at HMP Berwyn, colleagues supported almost 4,000 learners to achieve 10,000 qualifications across a wide range of subject areas, from Level 1 English and maths through to vocational and degree-level qualifications.

Behind every qualification is an individual learner. For some, education provides the opportunity to gain their first qualifications. For others, it can provide new skills, renewed confidence or a pathway towards employment and further training.

Education in custody can also play an important role in rehabilitation and resettlement. By helping learners develop skills and qualifications that are relevant beyond the prison environment, learning can help people prepare for the next stage of their lives.

Creating pathways into employment

Supporting learners towards employment has been an important part of Novus Cambria's work at HMP Berwyn.

The curriculum has been developed with employment and progression in mind, with relationships established with employers and employment leads to help connect learning with opportunities beyond prison.

The Novus Cambria Wellbeing Hub is one example of this approach.

Launched at HMP Berwyn in 2023, the Hub includes an industry-standard kitchen, barber shop and spaces for teaching and supporting learners. Developed with The Right Course, the facilities provide opportunities for learners to gain practical vocational skills in areas including hospitality and barbering.

This type of industry-relevant learning can help learners develop skills and experience that can be used when they progress into employment or further training after release.

Making learning relevant to the world outside prison

Over the past 10 years, Novus Cambria has continued to explore different ways to make learning engaging, practical and relevant to learners' futures.

Vocational education at HMP Berwyn includes opportunities to develop practical skills, while digital learning has also become an increasingly important part of the provision.

For example, learners have taken part in digital learning linked to joinery, exploring how digital tools and social media could be used in business and employment after release.

More recently, Novus Cambria learners at HMP Berwyn took part in a pilot exploring how virtual reality could support vocational education.

The immersive learning project focused on working safely at height in construction. Although the original project had to be adapted because VR headsets could not be approved within the project timeframe, the learning module was successfully piloted with Novus Cambria learners using classroom technology and interactive whiteboards.

The learner feedback demonstrated the potential of immersive learning, with all 10 learners who provided feedback saying the experience helped them understand the topic better than pictures, worksheets or text-based learning alone.

This is just one example of how the provision continues to evolve, exploring new approaches to help learners develop the skills and confidence needed for employment.

Learning beyond the classroom

Education is also about creating opportunities for learners to discover new interests, develop confidence and work with others.

In 2024 and 2025, Novus Cambria colleagues and learners at HMP Berwyn took part in a creative Castles of Wales competition, bringing together learners from bricklaying, plastering, bench joinery and site joinery to design and build a full-scale castle.

The project gave learners the opportunity to apply their vocational skills to a collaborative project while developing problem-solving, teamwork and creative skills. It also incorporated Welsh language and culture into the project.

Projects such as this show how education can extend beyond qualifications, giving learners opportunities to contribute, collaborate and see the results of what they can achieve.

A decade of partnership and progress

The success of Novus Cambria has been built on collaboration.

The partnership between Novus and Coleg Cambria has brought together different areas of expertise to provide learning and skills opportunities at HMP Berwyn, while strong relationships with HMPPS Wales, prison colleagues, employers and other partners have helped support the wider aims of education, rehabilitation and resettlement.

That collaborative approach continues to be important as the needs of learners and the world of work evolve.

Novus Cambria's journey also forms part of Novus' wider commitment to working with education partners across Wales. Novus later established Novus Gower with Gower College Swansea to deliver learning and skills at HMP Parc, with the partnership explicitly building on the experience of the Novus Cambria collaboration at HMP Berwyn.

Looking ahead

Ten years is an opportunity to celebrate what has been achieved, but it is also a chance to look ahead.

For Novus Cambria, the focus remains on providing learners with access to high-quality education, skills and opportunities that can support their progression and help them prepare for life beyond prison.

From essential skills and vocational qualifications to digital learning, enrichment and employment pathways, the aim is to ensure that learners have opportunities to develop the skills and confidence they need for positive futures.

Most importantly, the 10-year milestone is a celebration of the people at the heart of Novus Cambria: the colleagues who deliver and support learning every day, and the learners whose achievements make that work worthwhile.

Here's to 10 years of Novus Cambria, the learners supported, the opportunities created and the difference education can make.

Read more about Novus Cambria and HMP Berwyn

Explore more stories from Novus Cambria:

• New Novus Cambria contract starts at HMP Berwyn - find out how almost 4,000 learners were supported to achieve 10,000 qualifications during the previous contract, and about the launch of the Novus Cambria Wellbeing Hub.
• Wellbeing Hub at HMP Berwyn set to assist learners into employment - discover how industry-standard hospitality and barbering facilities are supporting vocational learning.
• How Virtual Reality is Supporting Vocational Skills Development in Prison Education - see how Novus Cambria learners helped test an innovative approach to immersive vocational learning.
• Castles of Wales' Competition Engages Learners at HMP Berwyn - read about learners bringing together vocational skills, creativity and teamwork.
• Blending Joinery and Digital Learning at HMP Berwyn - discover how digital skills have been incorporated into vocational learning.
• Novus Cambria awarded Learning and Skills contract for HMP Berwyn - revisit the original announcement of the partnership and its ambition for education, employability and rehabilitation.