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Gower College Swansea is proud to support skillscymru 2010.


skillscymru will be 'the place to be' in Wales this autumn. If you want to know more about skills, careers, training or education then skillscymru will be the event for you.

At skillscymru there will be hands-on activities so you can learn new skills. If you want to be a top DJ you can try using a mixing deck. Budding newsreaders can take a screen test. If you prefer to work with your hands there’s construction and building skills on offer. Enjoy cooking up a storm? Then try hospitality skills.

It couldn’t be easier – you can try things out and get to talk to people already in the careers and industries you want to work in.

You’ll get a chance to find out all about careers from over 100 organisations. From advertising to zoology, medicine to mucking out you’ll find out everything at skillscymru.

• Live vacancies so you can find yourself the perfect future instantly
• Training and learning courses to help you get the skills and qualifications you need
• Industry insights into the huge range of skills and jobs available
• Help to find your way and make choices about the routes you want to take
• The best talent in skills competitions

Anyone over the age of 14 is welcome, schools and colleges from across Wales are invited to bring big groups on Thursday 16th and Friday 17th September.

Adults looking for careers and skills inspiration can come along on any of the open days and Saturday will be more relaxed.

Adults and students can visit with friends, family or with a group - all the interactive demonstrations will be still taking place.

To find out more information visit www.skillscymru.co.uk or call 01823 362800.

skillscymru
Millennium Stadium
16th-18th September 2010

See you there!

Gower College Swansea has retained its ‘Green Dragon’ status for the third consecutive year.

The awarding of this status is an official ‘thumbs up’ for the college’s policies and management systems for waste, energy and recycling.

“After a rigorous inspection, we were delighted to retain our Green Dragon Level 3 status,” says Estates Manager Mark Duthie. “Throughout the year, staff and students are involved in a number of sustainability focused projects like the Green and Global Fayre and Environment Week, so this award is a reflection on everyone’s hard work.”

Related links:
www.groundworkinwales.org.uk 
 

Students and staff at the Tycoch/Llwyn y Bryn campus of Gower College Swansea are celebrating this year’s GCSE exam results.

Overall, 63% of entries achieved an A* - C grade with a massive 99% of entries receiving a pass rate in the A* - G grades.

Language students continue to perform outstandingly well. 100% of our French and Spanish learners achieved A* - C grade passes, with an incredible 50% of French and 75% of Spanish students achieving an A* grade.

“We have improved once again on the previous year’s results so I am delighted,” says Faculty Director Nick Brazil. “What makes this particularly pleasing is that many of our GCSE students are part time and juggle their studies with career and family commitments."

Gower College Swansea offers a range of GCSE courses for learners who wish to take re-sits or who simply want to study a new subject.

Any school pupils who are disappointed with their GSCE results this year are urged not to panic. Staff from the college’s Student Services team are on hand to provide advice and guidance and anyone who is unsure about what to do next can drop in to discuss their options.

Today sees the dawn of a new era for education in the City & County of Swansea when Gower College Swansea, formed by the merger of Gorseinon College and Swansea College, becomes a reality.

“The merging of our two colleges to form Gower College Swansea heralds a new era of post-compulsory education in Swansea, an era of cooperation, widened choice and improved access,” says Principal and Chief Executive Nick Bennett. “Gower College Swansea is now a force to be reckoned with and will protect the very high standards we have achieved in both colleges over many years.”

Gower College Swansea is the second largest FE establishment in Wales, with approximately 1,100 staff and 17,000 students. The campus is currently spread over two main sites, at Belgrave Road, Gorseinon and Tycoch Road, Swansea, plus a number of smaller ‘satellite’ centres. However, a brand new flagship campus is planned for Swansea city centre.

“Education and training are important not only to individuals to realise their potential and aspirations but to the economic development of Wales,” says Edwina Hart, Assembly Member for the Gower. “I believe that Gower College Swansea, working in innovative ways and in collaboration with schools, Higher Education providers and employers, is well placed to play a vital role in contributing to both social and economic well-being.”

“I am very proud to have been chosen to lead Gower College Swansea and promise to ensure that the very high standards we have routinely achieved in both Swansea and Gorseinon Colleges continue into the future,” adds Nick.

Swansea College is celebrating an overall 98% pass rate at A Level.

This year there were 628 separate exam entries. At A level, the overall pass rate was 98%, with 75% of these passes being at the higher grades of A*-C. The overall pass rate at AS level was 92%, a 5% rise on 2009, with 56% of those passes being grades A-C.

Individual successes include:

Claudia Evans, who hopes to use her qualifications in English [B grade], Welsh [A], Photography [A] and Art/Design [A] to progress onto a degree in English with Professional Welsh before pursuing a career in art or translation.

Helen Adams, who was self-taught and, to some extent, home tutored from the age of 10. Her transition to college has been highly impressive and, in a short time, she has achieved considerable success in Maths [A], Further Maths [B], Chemistry [A] and Physics [A.]

Rhodri Plumb, who switched to college halfway through his A Levels programme and is now planning on university after achieving success in his Chemistry [A], Electronics [A] and Maths [A] exams.

Fern Davies, who has combined academic achievement in Business Studies [A], Psychology [A] and English [A*] with a burgeoning swimming career. Fern is part of the Welsh swimming squad, which involves a considerable training schedule and regular competition at International level.

Today is an especially significant occasion as it’s the last time that either Swansea College or Gorseinon College will release their individual A and AS level results. From 20th August, they will merge to form Gower College Swansea.

“Gower College Swansea will be an even stronger organisation than its predecessors,” says Principal and Chief Executive Nick Bennett. “It will retain their best features and be an integral part of a new, coherent post-14 curriculum offer for the Swansea area. The merger has been a long time coming, but now staff and students are looking forward to playing their part in this exciting new era in Further Education.”