Working in partnership with Coleg y Cymoedd, Y Prentis are recruiting eight drylining apprentices who will undertake a brand-new two-year apprenticeship course from January.

The construction industry in Wales is projected to see an annual average output growth of 4.6% over the next five years. To support this growth, more than 4,000 specialist building operatives – which includes dryliners – will be needed to meet industry demand.

Y Prentis has been working closely with Coleg y Cymoedd and local contractors to deliver a new apprenticeship course that will help meet the future demand for more skilled drylining operatives. This two-year course, which begins in January, will provide people with the opportunity to gain the necessary work experience while spending one-day a week at the college studying towards a Level 2 Diploma in Interior Systems and an NVQ Level 2 in Drylining. The course will cover a range of subjects; ensuring students learn the construction skills and working knowledge they need to work as a dryliner. They will also learn about health, safety and welfare within the construction industry and gain an understanding of different construction technologies.

Darryl Williams, Programme Manager at Y Prentis, said: “It is great that we are able to expand into the drylining trade in partnership with Coleg y Cymoedd and local contractors to deliver these apprenticeships. There’s a growing demand for more skilled labour in the industry, so we’re delighted to be able to support people to get the skills they need and take advantage of these job opportunities.”

Apprenticeships will be carried out across the South-East Wales region with contractors such as ISG, Manorcraft and Richard Kemble Ceilings.

About the course
This course is a two-year apprenticeship course which will start on Friday 25 January 2019. Students will spend four days on site and one day a week at Coleg y Cymoedd’s Ystrad Mynach campus studying towards a Level 2 Diploma in Interior Systems and an NVQ Level 2 in Drylining. The course will cover a range of subjects, including:
• Finish dry lining joints
• Install dry lining partition and metal firing ceiling systems
• Install proprietary partition systems
• Install raised access flooring systems
• Install suspended ceiling systems

If you are interested in enrolling on the course, and would like to secure an apprenticeship with Y Prentis, please complete an application form on our website. www.yprentis.co.uk/students-colleges

For further information please call the Y Prentis team on 0800 9753 147 or email enquiries@yprentis.co.uk

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Cymoedd learner Garin Davies is certainly proof that hard work really does pays off. Eighteen year old Garin from Abertridwr, Caerphilly is studying on the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport at the Ystrad Mynach campus and is involved with the Rugby League Academy.

Outside of his studies Garin is an instructor at his local Kickboxing Club, which he has been a member of since the age of 15 years. He has already gained several titles, including his most recent accolade – the Over 18’s (60-65kg) Kickboxing World Championships, which were held in Worcester. Garin has also been recognised and received several Community Volunteer awards for his work at the club, he is currently working on a Shoe Box Appeal for the homeless.

Discussing his success Garin said” I’m extremely proud to have been selected to represent Wales at the World Kickboxing Championships and was thrilled to have won my category. I’m grateful to my sponsors Dragon Print & Dragon Security and to the staff at Coleg y Cymoedd, especially my tutors Mark Jones and Geraint Kettley. The college have helped me get into the best possible physical condition throughout my involvement with the Rugby League Academy. Since joining Coleg y Cymoedd my self-confidence has dramatically improved, which helps with my preparation for the level of competitions I now enter”.

Geraint Kettley, Sport Tutor and Rugby League Strength and Conditioning Coach commented” Garin has a great work ethic and has worked hard to improve his strength and power output over the course of the last year by being part of the Rugby League Academy. So it’s no surprise that he is competing at the highest level and winning such tournaments”.

Three Coleg y Cymoedd Creative Media learners secure joint Silver at this year’s Worldskills UK Live event, which took place at the NEC, Birmingham.

The event, which hosts the UK Skills competition finals, saw a record breaking 85,000 people visit the show over the three days this year and over 500 people compete to be the UK’s best in 70 different disciplines. The Skills competitions included Construction & Infrastructure, Health, Hospitality & Lifestyle, Digital, Business & Creative and Engineering & Technology.

In partnership with Natspec, the UK Finals for Inclusive Skills took place; these showcased the breadth of talent and skills amongst learners with learning difficulties.

Representing Coleg y Cymoedd’s Vocational Access department for the first time in the Digital, Business and Creative Media (Inclusive Skills) category were Jarrad Thomas-Gilbert (17), Cerys Coleman (17) and Sam Sheppard (17). The Inclusive Skills Competition enables young people with learning difficulties and disabilities to show case their work skills and growing independence.

The three learners were studying on the Entry 3 Creative Arts & Media course when they entered the competition last January to secure a place in the finals and have since progressed to the Level 1 Creative Arts & Media course at the Nantgarw campus.

Commenting on the success of the three learners Lesley Cottrell, Skills Ambassador for the College said” I was proud to see our Inclusive Media Team awarded a joint Silver medal. They have worked extremely hard, with the support of their tutor Ange Fitzgerald and it definitely showed. The learners were determined, confident and able to cope with every problem they encountered; with amazing resilience. This was a fantastic experience for them all and a great achievement to put on their CV. The competitions give young people the opportunity to build their confidence, increase their skills and meet people in the industry”.

A group of learners at Coleg y Cymoedd have produced a poignant display of poppies to mark 100 years since the end of World War 1.

The learners, studying on various Vocational Access courses at the Nantgarw campus; helped by Course Tutors Emma Chakrabarti, Allison Thomas and Carol Fatkin along with the team of support staff created the montage of over 500 individual poppies which now hangs from the balcony in the main reception area of the campus.

Emma said “As its 100 years since the end of World War 1 the staff and learners wanted to do something special this year to mark Remembrance Day and decided to produce the plastic bottle red poppies for the display.  We also included a display for all the animals who also died during the fighting.

I am so proud of the learners who have been so enthusiastic about the project. They have worked hard for a number of weeks to create the poppies and display in time to mark the occasion. It has been a great way to engage our learners with such an important anniversary.

I think it’s safe to say they have enjoyed the activity and were so excited to see their completed work taking pride of place; hanging in the main reception area. We’ve also had great feedback from staff and visitors to the college”.

Dylan, 16, from Rhondda Cynon Taf who is studying in the Vocational Access department added “I’ve learnt a lot about how important Remembrance Day is as we’ve worked on this poppy project and I think it is important to remember all those people who have fallen in war and also their families, who lost the people they loved. The poppies hanging from the balcony look amazing and help us remember those people”.

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