Gower College Swansea nominated for two TES FE awards

Gower College Swansea has been shortlisted in two categories at the prestigious TES FE Awards 2016.

One of the two categories is the overall ‘FE College of the Year.’

“We are delighted to be shortlisted in this category as it reflects the hard work and dedication on display across the college as a whole,” says Principal Mark Jones. “It’s been a remarkable year for our staff and students and we’ve seen significant successes within the academic, vocational, international, HE and business training teams.”

“Our students have performed exceptionally well at gaining places at Oxbridge and Russell Group universities, we opened a brand new £2.8 million teaching block at our Gorseinon campus, we’ve established excellent working partnerships with a number of private training providers – including the acquisition of one – in order to better meet the needs of employers, and we are currently in the process of finalising a number of strategic initiatives that will allow the college to grow into new business areas.”

The college has also been shortlisted in the ‘Support for Learners’ category. This is in recognition of its work with NEETS via the Bridge Project, which is aimed at young people who are unsure what to do after leaving school.

“We want to capture young people who might be in danger of becoming NEET,” says coordinator Caryn Morgan. “By offering a range of courses such as business, catering, sport, IT and digital technology we can provide them with a positive, flexible experience of college which encourages a sense of teamwork, ‘can-do’ confidence and fun and which prepares them for the world of work.”

The Bridge has been tailored to meet the needs of these ‘at risk’ young people and the results so far are very impressive. 70% of the cohort completed the programme and 30% transferred to alternative programmes or training initiatives. In 15/16, the college has almost trebled the number of learners enrolled on this programme – all of whom were deemed ‘high risk’ of becoming NEET, thus contributing to a reduction in NEET statistics locally.

The TES FE Awards celebrate and reward the dedication and expertise of the people who significantly contribute to improving the skills levels of young people and adult learners across the UK. The ceremony will take place at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on Friday 22 April.