Coleg y Cymoedd: £5.9 million financial impact transforming student recruitment with AI

Coleg y Cymoedd, a leading Welsh further education institution, partnered with ICS.AI to revolutionise their student recruitment process through the implementation of SMART: AI technology. The result was A.R.N.Y., an AI-powered recruitment assistant that has delivered record-breaking enrolment numbers and and £5.9m financial impact.

Coleg y Cymoedd, one of Wales' largest further education providers, partnered with ICS.AI to implement A.R.N.Y. (named after its four campuses), an AI-powered recruitment assistant that has dramatically transformed their student engagement and enrollment processes. Launched in November 2023, the solution has delivered remarkable results: achieving record-breaking enrollment numbers with 4,950 total enrollments (523 more than the previous year), improving conversion rates from 72.68% to 80.21%, and managing over 4,000 queries with 46% handled outside working hours. The bilingual AI assistant, built on ICS.AI's SMART: platform, has generated a total financial impact of £5,933,200 through increased enrollment and improved retention while reducing staff workload. This successful implementation of AI technology, supported by Welsh Government funding, has positioned Coleg y Cymoedd as a pioneer in educational innovation, demonstrating the transformative potential of AI in the further education sector.

The Challenge

As one of Wales’ largest further education providers, serving over 10,000 students across four campuses, Coleg y Cymoedd faced several challenges in maintaining their high standards of educational support. The college needed to transform their student engagement approach while managing an extensive range of full-time and part-time courses across multiple locations.

Managing high volumes of enquiries proved particularly challenging outside of working hours, when many prospective students and their families conducted their educational research. This created a critical gap in their ability to engage with potential students at crucial decision-making moments. As a Welsh institution, Coleg y Cymoedd also needed to ensure compliance with the Welsh Language Act, requiring all services to be delivered bilingually.

Lastly, the admissions team faced mounting pressure to handle increasing enquiry volumes while maintaining detailed documentation and providing personalised support to applicants. This strain on resources risked impacting both staff wellbeing and the quality of student engagement.

The Solution: SMART: AI
Student Recruitment Platform

Following careful evaluation, Coleg y Cymoedd implemented ICS.AI's SMART: AI Student Recruitment platform in November 2023. As Rory Meredith, Director of Digital Strategy and Innovation explains, "The purpose of the assistant is to improve the student recruitment journey for Cymoedd. We selected ICS.AI based on their trusted experience in the education sector and the innovation offered through a conversational AI experience, leveraging their SMART: AI platform and pre-built further education organisational language model."

The solution brought together comprehensive features designed to transform the student recruitment journey:

A pre-built further education language model covering over 400 relevant topics
Bilingual capabilities in both English and Welsh
24/7 multilingual, omnichannel student access
Automated application scoring and processing
Integration with the college's existing digital infrastructure
WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for accessibility

Meet A.R.N.Y.
- Coleg y Cymoedd's AI assistant

“Say hello to, A.R.N.Y. – ARNY was chosen and named by our staff and learners – not after the Terminator himself you'll be pleased to hear, but from the acronym of our 4 campuses: Aberdare. Rhondda. Nantgarw. Ystrad Mynach."

Rory Meredith, Director of Digital Strategy,

Coleg y Cymoedd.

Implementation Journey

The path to digital transformation required careful planning and execution, supported by strategic partnerships and government funding. The college's methodical approach ensured successful deployment and adoption:

Securing Welsh Government funding through the D2030 FE Capital Fund (2022-23)
Partnership with ICS.AI for platform implementation
Launch of A.R.N.Y. in November 2023
Continuous monitoring and optimisation of the system
Integration with Microsoft Azure Hosting and Language Services

Results and Impact

Since its launch in November 2023, A.R.N.Y has transformed how the college engages with prospective students. The impact has been felt across enrollment, conversion, retention, and operational efficiency:

Pre-built Capabilities: 400+ further education topics delivering rich, conversational user experiences
Query Management: 4,022 queries handled with 2,557 facilitated conversations, demonstrating strong engagement and demand
Bilingual Support: Full English and Welsh language capability, supporting the college's bilingual environment
Workload Reduction: Streamlined thousands of enquiries, allowing admissions staff to focus on personalised support
Service Availability: 46% of queries managed outside working hours, ensuring continuous support when staff are unavailable

Quantitative Outcomes

Enrollment Growth: Record-breaking 4,950 total enrollments with 523 additional students (2024/25 vs. 2022/23 baseline) <£2,981,100 increased revenue (based on £5.7K per student)>
Improved Conversion Metrics: Conversion rate increased from 72.68% to 80.21% - with 443 additional successful applications <generating £2,525,100 in additional revenue>
Enhanced Retention: 42 fewer early withdrawals and 24 fewer non-starters <valued at £376,200>
Operational Efficiency: 4,022 queries handled by AI and 46% of queries managed outside working hours <estimated at £50,800 annual staff cost savings>
Total Financial Impact: The combination of increased enrollment, improved retention, and operational efficiencies has delivered substantial financial benefits to the college with combined revenue and savings of £5,557,000

Technical Integration

The technical integration of A.R.N.Y. marked a significant milestone in the college's digital transformation. The implementation delivered sophisticated bilingual capabilities through curated English and Welsh language support, ensuring compliance with the Welsh Language Act while providing an intuitive user experience. The solution is built on Microsoft Azure Hosting and Language Services, with comprehensive implementation support from ICS.AI ensuring seamless integration with existing college systems.

Qualitative Benefits

Beyond the numbers, A.R.N.Y has transformed how the college interacts with prospective students and manages its recruitment process. The 24/7 support capability has enhanced the student experience, while the reduced administrative burden has allowed staff to focus on providing more personalised support. The improved accessibility through bilingual service delivery and streamlined information flow has strengthened the college’s competitive position in the sector.

Enhancing A.R.N.Y. with Gen AI Intelligent
Course Recommendations

Responding to A.R.N.Y.'s most frequent query - "What course is best for me?" - Coleg y Cymoedd has developed an innovative course recommendation system using GPT-4 technology. The system guides students through course selection based on their educational level and campus preferences, while offering personalised suggestions based on individual interests. Now fully implemented and available to students, this enhancement demonstrates the college's ongoing commitment to improving the student experience through AI technology.

Future Developments

The success of A.R.N.Y. has inspired Coleg y Cymoedd to explore further applications of AI technology across their educational delivery:

Expanding AI implementation into teaching and learning
Developing additional AI copilots for various educational functions
Participating in Welsh Government-funded pilot projects for AI in education

Find out more about the College’s ongoing AI developments in teaching and learning here:

Transform Your Engagement with AI

The implementation of A.R.N.Y. has transformed Coleg y Cymoedd's recruitment process, delivering substantial financial benefits while improving the student experience. The project demonstrates the significant potential of AI technology in educational settings, particularly when implemented with a clear strategy and strong partnership approach.

The success of this initiative has positioned Coleg y Cymoedd as a leader in educational technology innovation, setting new standards for student recruitment and engagement in the Welsh further education sector.

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