Careers extravaganza set to make a difference

by Barry Liles, Coleg Sir Gar Principal - 26/08/2010

"Buoyed by an outstanding set of A-level and Welsh Baccalaureate results for their learners, colleges in Wales are making final preparations for their role at SkillsCymru."

In addition to providing support for the specific skills areas at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, colleges are hosting stands with an exciting array of demonstrations and interactive activities planned throughout the three-day event.

As a result of their extensive employer engagement activity, colleges are well-placed to ensure that the skills demonstrated at the event will not only be exciting for people attending but will also be highly relevant to the current and future needs of employers.

Colleges provide employers with the complete skills package associated with apprenticeship frameworks, including vocational skills training, technical certificates and key skills development. The range of vocational skills provided by colleges in Wales is vast, covering all employment sectors, from animal care to yacht design. Crucially, colleges support skills development at all levels, including high-level skills in new and emerging technologies.

Visitors to SkillsCymru will have an opportunity to experience these skills through taster sessions within the skills areas and on college stands. Many of the colleges contributing to SkillsCymru have a record of success within a range of national and international skills competitions. Such successes will be showcased at SkillsCymru, highlighting the incredible talent that exists within Wales.

Many activities will emulate the competitive environment faced by skills competition participants and will add a further exciting dimension to the event as a whole.

My role as Skills Champion for Wales is to encourage the engagement of all colleges in activities such as SkillsCymru, skills competitions and WorldSkills. I am extremely fortunate to have a very supportive team within my own college, Coleg Sir Gâr, where we regularly host skills competitions at local, regional and national level.

Hosting such events has had a tremendous impact on both staff and students at the college – all are highly enthused by the standards achieved by the competitors. I have no doubt that people visiting SkillsCymru will be equally impressed when they witness and experience the range of skills opportunities available to them.

As a college, we will be showcasing the excellence achieved by some of our learners who have competed in national skills competitions. Taking pride of place in the showcase will be a profile of Cliff Williams, a carpentry student at the college who represented the UK in WorldSkills Calgary 2009.

In my talks to school pupils as Wales’ Skills Champion, I always relate the fact that individuals, over a lifetime, are expected to work more than 50 years. I also stress the importance of individuals being happy in their work and for young people to make the right decision in choosing their career path by maximising their potential when leaving school.

SkillsCymru will provide a fantastic opportunity for young people to witness the range of skills and career options available to them, to be better informed and to make the right career choice.

I am acutely aware of the concern of employers regarding an ageing workforce and an emerging skills gap in Wales. This provides young people with a tremendous opportunity and exciting career options.

Many employers are exhibiting at SkillsCymru and many others will be supporting colleges by providing apprentices and staff to demonstrate the skills employed within their organisations.

I am particularly grateful that a number of leading employers from my locality are releasing apprentices to assist on our stand to share their experiences and views with the young people visiting SkillsCymru.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s 14-19 Learning Pathways is having an impact on skills development, in my college we have more than 1,000 pupils between the age of 14 and 16 who attend college every week on vocational skills programmes as part of their school curriculum.

A further key and innovative development by the Assembly Government is the “Pathways to Apprenticeship” providing school leavers with an opportunity to enter a skills development programme, with work experience, subsequently leading into employment.

In Wales we benefit from having a passion for everything we do – this will be evident with the exhibitors in SkillsCymru and will no doubt enthuse people visiting the event. The climate for opportunity is just right and SkillsCymru will, I am sure, make a difference to many people’s lives.

SkillsCymru is part of a major push by the Assembly Government, with European Social Funding, to assist the country’s economic recovery by plying the population with skills. It takes place from September 16-18 at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. Visit www.skillscymru.co.uk or www.sgiliaucymru.co.uk for more information.

This is a guest column by Barry Liles the Principal at Coleg Sir Gar and a WorldSkills Champion for Wales

More Details: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education-news/2010/08/26/barry-liles-careers-extravaganza-set-to-make-a-difference-91466-27137843/