Cardiff college comes of age with new premises

A MULTI-award-winning organisation founded in Cardiff 22 years ago has moved to bespoke new premises.

MPCT, founded by Huw Lewis MBE, runs 35 Military Preparation Colleges (MPCs) across England and Wales, giving young learners, aged 14-19, the skills and qualifications they need to boost their life and career prospects.

On 28 June the centre moved from its original base at Canal Industrial Park, Dumballs Road, Cardiff, to its new home at One Canal Parade.

The new venue now houses both the Military Preparation College Post 16 learners and also the Pre16 MPCT Schools learners.

Although only around 300m from its current site, the new centre has been specifically designed to meet MPCT’s requirements and provides students with a modern state-of-the-art learning environment.

All MPCTs instructors are ex-British Armed Forces personnel, who use their military backgrounds to run a range of academic, functional and health and fitness courses along with training in physical fitness, public speaking and communication.

In Wales, along with Cardiff, there are locations at Bangor, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Haverfordwest, Newport, Swansea and Wrexham, but Chief Executive Officer, Huw Lewis MBE, said the Cardiff site “holds special memories as that’s where the entire organisation began.

“It was the perfect location then and it’s the perfect location now,” he said, “which is why we are moving such a short distance.

“The site gives our learners access to the vast scope of Cardiff and Vale College’s facilities and is still just a few minutes’ walk from Cardiff’s central transport hubs.

“However, where the new site really excels is in the educational facilities. This new venue will allow even further expansion, allowing us to accommodate, support and inspire more learners across the city and beyond.”