With GCSE results day (August 22) just around the corner, we’ve caught up with Kelly Fountain, Principal of Gower College Swansea to understand the benefits of studying at college for school leavers.
Q: Could you provide an overview of Gower College Swansea for our readers?
Gower College Swansea is one of the largest Further Education colleges in Wales, and we continue to attract learners from within and beyond our local catchment area. We attract learners from across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire, which is a testament to not only our extensive subject offer, but also our wide range of student support and our students’ outcomes and progression opportunities.
Q: What are the subjects available for school leavers?
We offer over 40 A Levels, across all the key sector areas; providing full-time, academic qualifications as well as vocational part-time qualifications. Our large range of apprenticeship courses are always popular, and we also offer a range of higher education courses in partnership with our local universities.
Our subject areas range from traditional subjects such as sciences, maths, and humanities to more non-traditional, brand-new subjects which learners wouldn't have necessarily studied at school, such as psychology, criminology and digital technology. Our range of vocational courses is extensive, and we deliver across every key priority sector area. And from entry level, right up to level three and beyond in subjects such as engineering, health and social care, hair and beauty, and performing arts.
Q: What if you don’t achieve the necessary GCSE grades to study further?
At Gower College Swansea, we will guarantee a place for every single learner, regardless of their qualifications.
Studying with us is just the first step in your career journey. As well as providing robust advice and guidance, from day one, we will ensure that all learners receive the tailored support they need to succeed.
Q: What is your teaching provision like at the College?
We’re renowned for our high-quality teaching and have won many awards for exactly this. Many of our staff are qualified to Masters and PhD level and have also received significant hands-on experience in industry. So, mixing real-world know-how, with the backing of high-level academia provides our learners with a unique learning experience.
Q: What sort of pastoral support do you offer learners?
An outstanding feature of the College is our extensive support for learners. We have over 80 dedicated roles for student support to ensure that all of our learners are supported in terms of their course, personal needs and wellbeing.
All learners have access to progress coaches, pastoral coaches, and personal tutors. They can even access financial support and assistance, and many of our lecturers will often spend time with our learners outside of the normal lessons to ensure that they're on track to succeed. This is a distinguishing feature of our offer at the College.
Q: What unique opportunities do you offer learners?
Investing in the ‘learner experience’ is crucial. Whether it’s through our investment in wellbeing and support, or simply giving learners unique experiences that challenge and inspire them to reach their full potential.
Our learners have countless opportunities to participate in national and international skills competitions, which stretch their skillsets beyond their subjects. Our esports team, as an example, recently travelled to Sweden for the DreamHack Esports Championships, which was a phenomenal experience. We’ve even had a team of learners volunteering in Kenya this summer, to help support a primary school that we have sponsored for over 20 years.
We are also proud of our GCS Honours Programme which gives learners bespoke support in applying for Oxford and Cambridge. From weekly tutorials, interview preparation, alumni meetings, academic and aptitude test coaching, right through to Oxbridge visits. This programme has been hugely successful with approximately 10 College learners progressing to Oxbridge each year.
Q: The education sector has its financial challenges, how does this effect Gower College Swansea?
We are one of the few colleges in Wales to consistently achieve our enrolment targets, which has helped to create a really stable financial position moving forward. This stability then allows us to continue to invest in our capital estates and maintenance. It also allows us to commit to running of all our courses, and we're not in the habit of cutting any provision. We are also proud of the fact that our learners get exceptional experiences outside of their normal timetabled lessons. Our learners don’t just leave with a qualification, they leave with additional skills and additional opportunities that will put them in a really strong position to meet their career aspirations moving forward.
Q: What links do you have with industry?
We have an extremely positive relationship with our employers. We host a number of Employer Advisory Boards which include key industry leaders from across all priority sector areas. This allows us to stay attuned to the needs of local employers, and we then re-shape our courses in line with their needs. It’s vital that our learners are taught the most relevant and current courses that meet the demands of their future employers. One key industry partner of ours is Swansea Arena. Our strategic partnership with the venue provides our visual arts learners with a truly unique, hands-on learning opportunity in a thriving setting. Studying at Gower College Swansea will open doors to our extensive employer network.
For more information on all courses offered at Gower College Swansea, visit: https://www.gcs.ac.uk/school-leavers
