Gower College Swansea is an award-winning college that provides education and training to over 4,500 full-time and 10,000 part-time learners across the Swansea area and beyond.
Wales Online caught up with Kelly Fountain, Principal of Gower College Swansea, to understand the benefits of College for school leavers.
Tell us why Gower College Swansea should be your first choice
There are three main reasons to join Gower College Swansea.
The first reason is choice. We offer an extensive range of academic and vocational qualifications, including a wide range of apprenticeship pathways, ranging from traditional subjects such as biology, maths, and humanities to more vocational subjects such as engineering, construction, health and social care where you can study hands-on in a practical environment.
Quality is the second reason. We’re renowned for our high-quality, award-winning teaching. Many of our staff are qualified to Master's and PhD levels and have also received significant hands-on experience in industry, therefore our learners are taught by well qualified and experienced subject experts which are specialists within their curriculum areas. We are also exceptionally proud of our high academic and vocational results which exceed national benchmarks.
Mixing real-world know-how with the backing of high-level academia provides our learners with a unique learning experience.
We are also extremely proud of our GCS Honours Programme, which offers bespoke support for learners applying to the UK’s very top universities. This programme has been highly successful and, this year, 14 of our students have been offered places at Oxford or Cambridge which is outstanding.
The third reason is the outstanding and extensive support for learners.
We have more than 80 dedicated student support roles to ensure that all of our learners are supported in terms of their course, personal needs and well-being.
Our learners benefit from comprehensive support through our dedicated team of progress coaches, pastoral coaches and personal tutors including advice and guidance around financial support as well as wellbeing support. Our lecturers regularly offer additional one-on-one time outside of scheduled classes to help ensure student success. This personalised approach to student support sets our College apart.
Come along to one of our March open events and discover for yourself everything we have to offer.
When should prospective students apply for Gower College Swansea?
Applications are open now - the earlier you apply, the more chance you have of securing a place on your first-choice course.
Gower College Swansea is one of Wales's largest Further Education colleges, attracting learners from within and beyond our local catchment area, including Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire.
This is a testament not only to our extensive range of subjects, but also to our comprehensive student support, excellent student outcomes and progression opportunities.
What are the subjects available for school leavers?
Gower College Swansea provides more than 40 A Levels and 40 vocational subject choices across key sectors.
Students can choose from traditional A Level subjects like science, mathematics and humanities, as well as more specialised fields such as psychology, criminology, and electronics, which are often unavailable at school.
The College's vocational options cover a variety of fields, including engineering, construction, health and social care, hair and beauty and performing arts. Courses range from entry-level to level three and beyond.
Our extensive range of apprenticeship pathways is always popular, and we also offer higher education courses in partnership with local universities.
College can be very different from school, so can I expect support?
Providing excellent support is a top priority for us. All learners can access 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 lessons to ensure that they're on track to succeed. This is a distinguishing feature of our offer at the College.
Does the college have good links with businesses and employers?
Yes! The College has excellent links with business and industry. We host several employer advisory boards that 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 reshape our courses in line with their needs.
Our learners must be taught the most relevant and current courses that meet the demands of their future employers.
What can learners get involved with outside their subjects?
Our learners have many opportunities to take part in national and international skills competitions, stretching their skillsets beyond their subjects.
The Esports team travelled to Sweden for the DreamHack Esports Championships and a team of learners volunteered in Kenya to support a primary school we have sponsored for over 20 years.
Interested? Come along and find out more. The next set of Gower College Swansea open evenings kick off from March 17, 2025. For more information and to register, visit our events page.