Students at Coleg Gwent — one of Wales’ top performing colleges — are celebrating today (August 17) as they collect the BTEC, AS and A-Level results needed to take their very first steps into higher education and new careers.
97.4% of students at the college achieved A*-E A-level grades, while 88% of BTEC students achieved a pass grade or higher across 48 different vocational subject areas — with many of the students receiving the news at the College’s Farewell Festival hosted at its Blaenau Gwent, Crosskeys, and Torfaen campuses.
Rebecca Saunders from Blaenau Gwent and Amy Louise White from Crosskeys are just two of the elated students getting ready to embark on their chosen careers after achieving their results.
Rebecca (Bec) Saunders, who studied Level 3 Diploma of Music Practitioners, has her sights set on the recording studio after achieving distinction (D*) today. Following encouragement from her tutors, Bec began posting performances online, which captured the attention of producer and songwriter, Jack Gourley —who’s worked with industry giants such as James Arthur, Jess Glynne, and Tom Odell.
Taking her next steps onto the stage, Bec will be enrolling onto the Popular and Commercial Music course at university from September.
When asked about her studies, Bec said: “Moving to Coleg Gwent was the best decision I could have made. When I first started on the course, I had no confidence performing in front of others, let alone on a stage. I would like to thank my tutors for their consistent encouragement and support.
“I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life, studying music at university and touring around the UK to promote my new EP, which I hope to have finished by the end of the year.”
Fellow Coleg Gwent student, Amy Louise White — A-level Computer Science and ICT learner — has been accepted onto a four-year apprenticeship scheme with tech giant Sony, focusing on software engineering after achieving A*, B, B in her A-levels today.
Talking about her aspirations, Amy said: “I have been interested in computing from a young age. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, I feel empowered to be part of the small percentage of women in computing.
“Following the completion of my apprenticeship, I hope to pursue a career within the company and possibly move towards teaching apprenticeships in the future — with the aim of inspiring more young women to take up careers in computing.”
In addition to BTEC and A-level success, over 116 adult learners have successfully completed their Access to Higher Education courses with Coleg Gwentand will be progressing on to a degree course at university.
Nicola Gamlin, Vice Principal, added: “Every year, the learners across each of the Coleg Gwent campuses exceed our expectations. They continue to champion the diverse range of courses we have available and showcase the skills they have developed here.
“I want to thank the students and staff for their hard work and dedication over the last academic year. We look forward to seeing the talent developed at Coleg Gwent take on new careers in industries across Wales and beyond.”
