Our continued response to Covid-19: Update from Principal Mark Jones (22 September)
Principal Mark Jones reflects on the start of the Autumn term, praising students and staff for their cooperation, and explaining how the College is continuing to ensure health and safety remains the top priority.
As we enter the fourth week of term, it seems a good time to reflect on how things have gone so far at Gower College Swansea.
Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you to all our students and staff for their cooperation as we navigate our way through an academic year that is very different to any we've known before.
Student Union President, Laimis Lisauskas reflects on his first few days back at College
With the reopening of schools and colleges earlier this week, I thought readers may be interested in getting a student’s perspective of how these first few days have gone.
My role as the President of the Student Union at Gower College Swansea has allowed me to interact with a wide range of students over the past few days, and therefore the comments I make are representative of the feedback I have received from right across the College.
Guidance on face coverings
Following the recent statement by Welsh Government, the College has decided that all staff, students and visitors will now be required to wear face coverings.
This will apply in all communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain (e.g. hallways, stairways or common rooms). It will also apply when using College or public buses.
Face coverings will not be expected to be worn in the classroom as all full time students will be in individual contact groups (bubbles) and all part time students will be social distancing.
After a tough year, Gower College Swansea looks forward
After what has been a very challenging academic year, Gower College Swansea is now gearing up for the return of students from 1 September.
Work has been ongoing throughout the summer to adapt the campus buildings in light of Covid-19 and things will look very different when learners return for their inductions.
Update from Principal, Mark Jones (11 August)
We have now received the final part of the Welsh Government’s guidance that will allow the College to reopen at the beginning of September.
Even though this guidance has been delayed, we have been working with Welsh Government colleagues throughout the summer and I am now pleased to be able to share our plans for September.
However, I do need to remind everyone of the College’s two key priorities as our plans are based on what we believe are the best means of achieving both of these.
Priority one
Updated message from Principal, Mark Jones (16 July)
The announcement last week by the Minister for Education Kirsty Williams effectively means that we have now been given approval to put together a second plan for September based on 16–18 year old College students being physically present on campus.
An updated message from Principal, Mark Jones: July
It is now three weeks since I last updated students, parents and guardians about how the College is preparing – initially for our return from lockdown and then for September – and a lot has happened during that time.
Firstly I‘m delighted to report that the College has now reopened albeit initially for around just 300 vocational students. This is to allow them to undertake any outstanding vocational assessments and, in doing so, to complete their course and support their progression.
Further education sector responds to Covid-19 crisis with fully subsidised training for employers
In response to the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on the economic wellbeing of Wales, colleges across the further education sector have come together with WEFO (Welsh European Funding Office) to develop a package of support to help and assist businesses during this time.
With the support of ESF (European Social Fund) funding, further education colleges in Wales will now be offering local businesses accredited training and development qualifications for their staff, ranging from Levels 1 to 6 that are 100% subsidised through three regional projects.
College prepares for a new look September
With the health and safety of our communities at the centre of decision making, Gower College Swansea is preparing to welcome students from September, in line with the latest Welsh Government guidance.
As social distancing requirements will likely remain in place for the foreseeable future, the College is currently adapting how its runs all of its programmes to include a blended mix of online and face to face delivery and support.