College News

Blue plaque unveiled at Sketty Hall

The man who oversaw the creation of the world-renowned Cambrian Pottery has been honoured with a blue plaque at Sketty Hall, the Swansea landmark he once owned.

The blue plaque was unveiled in honour of Lewis Weston Dillwyn, also an eminent botanist, on 2 July.

Dillwyn was born in 1778. His father, a Pennsylvanian Quaker, returned to Britain the year before during Philadelphia’s worst period in the American War of Independence. He was a vociferous anti-slavery campaigner and toured England and South Wales in his work for the Anti-Slavery Committee.

Project Enduro – world record holders!

The team behind Project Enduro, designers and manufacturers of prototype specialist four-wheeled downhill mountain bikes, have a new accolade under their belt - that of world record holders!

This follows the recent challenge at Antur Stiniog, Snowdonia, where they attempted to set a new world record for the greatest number of vertical metres descended in 24 hours.

In weather that can best be described as ‘changeable’, they descended an amazing 25,875 metres within the 24 hour deadline.

Stefano engineers himself a job

Winning an engineering competition proved just the job for Gower College Swansea student Stefano Amoruso when one of the judges offered him an apprenticeship.

Stefano won the recent WorldSkills UK Industrial Electronics regional final at the Tycoch campus and will now go on to compete at the Skills Show at Birmingham’s NEC in November. There is also the potential of a place at the WorldSkills International finals in Abu Dhabi in 2017 in the pipeline.

ILS students celebrate work placement success

Independent Living Skills students at Gower College Swansea have celebrated the end of the academic year by enjoying a delicious buffet at the Vanilla Pod.

"The event was a roaring success and it was a great opportunity to say 'thank you' to the employers and volunteer groups who support the ILS department throughout the year," says Work Placement Coordinator Karen McDonald. "The buffet, which was prepared by catering and hospitality students, was delicious."

Students perform a Greek tragedy - in Welsh

As part of their final few weeks of classes before the Summer break, AS Level Drama students at Gower College Swansea were given the opportunity to prepare a bilingual production of Sophocles' Electra.

Set in the city of Argos, the play recounts the tale of Electra and the vengeance that she and her brother Orestes take on their mother and stepfather following the murder of their father. This particular production used the set of a Jeremy Kyle-type TV programme as a backdrop for the developing story.

2015 awards recognise outstanding student achievement

Outstanding students have been honoured at the Gower College Swansea 2015 Annual Awards ceremony.

The awards were handed out at the Liberty Stadium, with recipients representing every aspect of college life from art, sport and engineering to enterprise, languages and hospitality.

Swansea Sound DJ Kevin Johns MBE once again hosted the evening, where students were honoured for their achievements both academic and personal.

Cardiff salon’s artistic director named VQ Learner of the Year runner up

The artistic director at Ocean Hairdressing in Cardiff was runner up at the VQ (Vocational Qualifications) Awards in Wales last week.

Casey Coleman, a former Gower College Swansea student, was one of six finalists in the running to become VQ Learner of the Year at the showpiece awards ceremony at St David’s Hotel, Cardiff. The award recognises learners who clearly demonstrate progression and excellence in vocational studies and have made considerable achievements in their field.

Laura changes her life through learning

A 21-year-old from Swansea who says learning 'saved her life' has won a major award.

Gower College Swansea student Laura John, from Townhill, was presented with the Young Adult Learner Award at the recent Inspire! Awards, as part of Adult Learners’ Week 2015.

The talented artist was recognised for turning her life around after having a difficult start that led her to self-harm and drugs.

Students face ‘squashed tomato’ challenge

Gower College Swansea’s Reaching Wider team recently played host to Dylan Thomas Community School, where Year 9 pupils took part in a practical engineering-focused activity called ‘The Squashed Tomato Challenge.’

This fun hands-on and brains-on challenge has been developed by Practical Action and is based on a real life problem affecting people in Nepal, where many farmers living on the mountainside grow fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes.

Project Enduro team face endurance test

The team behind Project Enduro – the designers and manufacturers of prototype specialist four-wheeled downhill mountain bikes - are facing one of their biggest challenges to date.

Starting at 12pm on 17 June at Antur Stiniog, Snowdonia, they will attempt to set a new world record for the greatest number of vertical metres descended in 24 hours.