New students set to benefit from state-of-the-art facilities and innovative social spaces

Students beginning the academic year at Gower College Swansea can make the most of a range of new facilities as the College continues to enhance its learning and social spaces.

At the Tycoch Campus, the results of a recent £4 million investment are already being enjoyed by students. The new ground floor area boasts a common room and Costa Coffee shop as well as student-centred offices such as admissions, funding and careers guidance. Students wishing to progress onto Level 4 or higher courses - an area of continuous growth and development at the College - can now do so in the comfort of a bespoke Higher Education Centre which features exclusive classrooms, library and common room area on the mezzanine floor.

The Tycoch Campus redevelopment, which has transformed the front of the building into a modern learning and social environment, saw an investment of £1.5 million from the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools and Education Programme.

Elsewhere at Tycoch, the new library features collaborative learning areas, an information learning technology studio, an acoustic pod and individual / group study spaces. As well as being stocked with the latest textbooks, the library has also been fitted out with enhanced Wi-Fi and USB/power sockets embedded in the furniture so students can research a wealth of electronic resources on College PCs and laptops or their own devices.

At the Gorseinon Campus, students will soon be able to relax in the brand new Coffee Hut – a £2m extension of the refectory which features a Costa Coffee shop and a light and airy space for students to relax between classes and have a bite to eat.

These new features are in addition to the College’s well established facilities such as the Sport Centre – which offers reduced membership rates for students – the salons and spa available at the Broadway Centre, and the Vanilla Pod training restaurant.

Commenting on the redevelopments, Mark Jones, Principal at Gower College Swansea, said: “We are truly delighted that our students can experience the new working, learning, and social environments we’ve created to make their time at the College as enjoyable as possible. We believe the new facilities reflect the College’s goal to provide students with the springboard needed to succeed and fulfil their potential.

“We recognise that the step from school to college is a momentous one and that’s why we have put a lot of time and thought into creating these spaces and also offering a pastoral care team that can support students through this time.

“We understand that, while it’s an exciting period of change, it can also be a challenging and daunting time. The induction process is hugely important to us and we ensure each student is assigned a personal tutor who they will maintain close contact with throughout their time with us. We also have specialists in place to support students that have specific responsibilities and needs i.e. young carers.

“Ensuring that students are supported both emotionally and mentally is just as important to us as ensuring educational success. That’s why we have dedicated significant resources to investing in and creating new social spaces at the College as we recognise they are just as important to the students and their wellbeing as the academic facilities we offer. I look forward to watching our newest cohort of students settle in and progress over the next two years and beyond.”