A DEGREE programme which aims to produce 21st century leaders throughout Wales and beyond has been launched.

The courses which it comprises are the first of their kind in Wales.

They were developed by Wrexham Glyndwr University alongside partners from the public, private and third sector including the Leadership Centre and leadership practice Do-Well (UK) Ltd.

Nina Ruddle, head of public policy engagement at Wrexham Glyndwr University, is one of the key drivers of the programme which has recently been launched to an audience of key leaders from across North Wales.

She said: “There are so many challenges facing public services, with increasing demands on scarce resources.

“Tackling those challenges means changing the way we deliver public services and how we work across sectors.

"Wales is the first country in the world to set legislation, In the Future Generations Act Wales, that drives this and ensures we change the way we work to improve the health and wellbeing of current and future generations.

"The leadership programme is to support and enable this act to come to life and work with and alongside all sectors to improve outcomes for citizens.

“Answering that call, Glyndwr has worked in partnership to co create the BA and MA courses, the first of their kind in Wales.

"They will change the way people think about working with each other – and help build a network of people with the skills needed to deliver the transformational change their organisations want.

“Those skills are transferable, and graduates from these courses will be equipped with a mindset which can be applied across boundaries – helping their career, but also helping to build a new generation of leaders who can help transform their communities.

“As one of the pilot cohort, who has helped to shape the course - a senior manager in a key North Wales organisation - said at its launch, ‘if we want to change North Wales, we have to work together.’”

The course has been developed with support from external experts.

Among these is Ken Perry, director of leadership practice Do-Well (UK) Ltd and a visiting industrial fellow at Wrexham Glyndwr University, who said: “Strong and effective leadership is vital to enabling organisations, people and places to do well and succeed.

“The Public Services Degree Programme is the first of its kind in Wales, developed and created in partnership with the public, private and voluntary sectors across the region in response to the growing need for these organisations to work better together to address increasingly complex and wicked issues in our society.

“Do-Well is pleased to be working in partnership with Wrexham Glyndwr University and the Leadership Centre to develop a truly unique programme that will support and develop the next generation of leaders in Wales.”

A Postgraduate Support Bursary is available for 20 Welsh and EU domiciled students who wish to study on the MA programme. The bursary will be provided on a first come first served basis for those students who accept an offer to study the programme by January 14, 2019.

Simon Stewart, Glyndwr’s dean of the faculty of social and life sciences, said: “These new courses – the first of their kind in Wales – are designed to help equip people with the skills they need to lead better together and transform our public services.”

More information about the programme can be found at: www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/Undergraduatecourses/PublicServiceLeadershipBA/PublicServicesLeadershipProgramme/