Students beat the odds to win coveted apprenticeships

Three students from Gower College Swansea are among the four young people chosen to undertake a four-year engineering apprenticeship with leading Welsh travel operator First Cymru.

Over 440 applications were submitted from candidates across Wales for the highly-coveted apprenticeships, which will run at the company’s Swansea and Port Talbot depots. David Davies aged 17, Jay Edwards aged 20 and Sally-Anne Sheldon aged 19 are all from Swansea originally and studied a Level 2 City and Guilds Vehicle Technology course in the motor vehicle department at Tycoch campus over two years before being offered this exciting opportunity to progress in their career.

During their four year fully-funded training programme, each apprentice will specialise in their chosen area of expertise. David will learn about building train coaches, Jay will learn more about being a fitter and Sally-Ann will lead the way for females in the industry as she gains skills as an electrician.

Further education and training will also be provided by Manchester Business School, First Cymru’s chosen educational institution, where the apprentices will be expected to attend classes for six weeks each year.

Alison Booth, lecturer at Gower College Swansea, said: “We are extremely proud to see our students have moved on to achieve such great things and have this wonderful opportunity to specialise in their chosen career paths. First Cymru is at the forefront of travel engineering in Wales and our three past students are guaranteed a bright future filled with opportunity.”