Coleg y Cymoedd has transformed its student recruitment process through artificial intelligence, partnering with ICS.AI to deploy ARNY, an AI-powered bilingual assistant. The initiative has generated over £5.9 million in financial benefits, including increased tuition revenue and operational savings, while delivering an 18% rise in student enrolments within a year.
Serving over 10,000 students across four campuses, the college faced challenges in managing enquiries and delivering bilingual support in compliance with the Welsh Language Act. To address this, ICS.AI developed ARNY, the first AI assistant in Welsh further education, designed to handle high enquiry volumes and improve engagement outside traditional office hours. Built on Microsoft technology, ARNY automates responses to thousands of queries, allowing the admissions team to focus on personalised applicant interactions.
Since its launch, ARNY has facilitated over 5,000 queries and engaged in more than 3,000 conversations. Conversion rates have increased from 72.68% to 80.21%, resulting in 443 additional successful applications. Retention rates have also improved, reducing early withdrawals and non-starters by 66 students.
Rory Meredith, Director of Digital Strategy and Innovation at Coleg y Cymoedd, stated that working with ICS.AI has revolutionized student recruitment, providing 24/7 bilingual support and reducing administrative pressures. Martin Neale, CEO of ICS.AI, emphasized that the partnership sets a new standard for efficiency in education, demonstrating AI’s potential to enhance service while reducing costs.
The success of ARNY has secured Welsh Government funding through the D2030 FE Capital Fund, supporting the development of additional AI solutions, including a GPT-4-powered course recommendation tool. The initiative marks a significant advancement in AI-driven education, positioning Coleg y Cymoedd at the forefront of digital transformation.
