Gower College Swansea have successfully launched a series of new work internships with students in the independent living skills (ILS) department, working up to five days a week in various sectors in Morriston Hospital and the wider community.

Students are being recognised by big name employers as valuable contributors in the workplace and these budding partnerships are also giving opportunities to students with additional learning needs (ALN) to gain work experience to evidence on their CVs and find paid employment.

A group of Independent Living Skills (ILS) students had a Q&A session with the Lord Mayor of Swansea, Cllr Peter Black, on Wednesday 5 February.

The Lord Mayor discussed his role with the enthusiastic learners, including his day to day tasks and his personal highlights, such as awarding Alun Wyn Jones with the Freedom of the City and welcoming the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Mumbles the previous day.

Two ILS students from Gower College Swansea have scooped prizes in a photography competition organised by Learning Disability Wales

Sophie Maddick and Jon-Luc Howells are on the Study Preparation 2 course at the Tycoch Campus. Digital photography is among the subjects they study and the winning photographs were taken during a class visit to Langland Bay with lecturer Leah Millinship.

The competition – which had a theme of ‘All our Futures; doing things differently for a better future' – attracted entries from all over Wales.

ILS students at Gower College Swansea have enjoyed an exclusive opportunity to get involved at a new community based project in Ilston on the Gower.

Cae Tan is a community supported agriculture (CSA) initiative which aims to reinvigorate local sustainable food networks by rebuilding the relationships between consumer, farmer and land.

Students on the STTEP programme are taking part in green woodwork sessions and experiencing skills such as splitting oak, small animal care, fire lighting and beekeeping.

Huge congratulations are in order to the Gower College Swansea Independent Living Skills football team who have won the 'Ability Counts' national championships at St George's Park, Burton on Trent.

After qualification from the regional competition, Gower College Swansea competed against 16 other colleges who had qualified from across England. Not only were students representing Gower College Swansea but also Wales!

The team played five matches, winning four and drawing one on their way to beating Henley College 4-2 in the final.

In January 2015, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, as part of its 4Site Secondary School programme, began a ten-week project with a group of students from the Independent Living Skills (ILS) department at Gower College Swansea.

Based at Gower College Swansea’s Tycoch campus, the ILS department offers a range of courses that are tailored to students with specialist learning needs.

Part time Independent Living Skills students were recently invited on a tour of the Tesco superstore at Fforestfach as part of their Work Awareness course.

During their visit, the students enjoyed a 'behind the scenes' look at how the supermarket runs and were able to try their hands at using the tills.

"In keeping with the recent Fairtrade Fortnight the students selected and scanned Fairtrade items and experienced what it was like to be a cashier in a busy supermarket," says lecturer Leah Millinship.

When the summer term comes to an end in July, Gower College Swansea student Matthew Allen will be packing his bags and heading to Los Angeles.

Matthew, an Independent Living Skills student at the Tycoch campus, is set to take part in the Special Olympics World Games, where he has been selected to represent Team GB in swimming.

The only male Welsh swimmer to be selected for this event, Matthew, who has autism, already has a strong track record in the Special Olympics with two Gold medals, one Silver medal and two Bronze medals under his belt.

A group of Independent Living Skills students at Gower College Swansea have pledged to stay silent in the hopes of raising money for a local charity.

The students are responding to a recent appeal for funds from the Community Horse and Pony Scheme - or CHAPS - which provides rehabilitation through the therapeutic use of horses in the Swansea area.