GCS Training - Principal's overview

One of the biggest difficulties and challenges that a general College of Further Education - such as your local FE College, Gower College Swansea - has to face, is that the range of courses we offer is so wide these days that many people are confused about what exactly we do.

Today for example, most FE Colleges deliver not only vocational provision to 16 - 18 year olds, but also A Levels (which of course is a real strength of our College), vocational provision to 14-16 school pupils, apprenticeships, adult community learning and higher education at Level 4 (HNC) up to Level 6 (BA/BSc) as well as some Masters provision.

In recent years, as FE Colleges have grown rapidly – many through merger – so too has the range of courses on offer, to include other provision such as Welsh for Adults, commercial courses, international work, a wide range of discrete projects (often funded through a variety of external sources) and other work delivered through a range of discrete companies who have been acquired to add breadth to the College ‘group’.

But whilst the range of courses has changed dramatically during a relatively short period, some aspects of a College’s business have not changed at all and these include a relentless focus on ensuring that we deliver high quality courses which are value for money. In doing so, we work with other partners across the education sector to support progression both to and from College courses.

The purpose of this newsletter is to help shine a little light on some of the College’s range of activities and provision and, in doing so, to hopefully demystify some of the courses that we offer.

Our aim is to develop a relationship with all of our local employers as that’s one of the major remits for all FE colleges.  Indeed I recall the words of the first Principal that I ever worked for who said “a Further Education College is a resource paid for by the community…for the community… and don’t ever forget the business community as they are the most important community of all.”

Today your local FE College is highly regarded by students, parents, employers, Welsh Government and other key stakeholders and is in a unique position to support you in your business whether you need a guide, a reference point, an aide or a friend.

And over time, I would hope that we could develop a series of different and distinct business relationships, bespoke for each organisation, that may include e.g. employers visiting the College to speak to our students or inviting them to visit your business or even taking some students on work placement. It may include assisting the College in developing curriculum which meets your specific needs or possibly working with the College to select your new employees.  Or you may just want to keep up to date with what’s happening at the College or with education in general through attending one of our business events or Principal’s dinners.

However you would like to work with us is up to you and you can be sure that we will very much value your support and your time.