The four main party representatives in Montgomeryshire visited the Welsh Baccalaureate students at the Newtown site of Coleg Powys to provide them with a taste of politics.

MP Lembit Opik from the Liberal Democrats, Glyn Davies from the Conservatives, Heledd Fychan from Plaid and Nick Colbourne from Labour visited the College over the last few weeks to talk to the students about their policies, provide some history about themselves and take questions.

Tutor Sarah Eskins said: “This was a great opportunity for the students to get some real insight into politics and make an informed decision of which party they would like to support.”

The students are studying the Welsh Baccalaureate with either Travel and Tourism or Health and Social Care.

Health & Social Care and Travel & Tourism students held a coffee morning at the Newtown site of Coleg Powys on Thursday to raise funds for the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal and managed to raise £631.59 with more money still coming in.

In addition to selling refreshments and cakes they also had a raffle and Name the Teddy competition.

The event was very well supported by Staff and Students, with many cakes and raffle prizes donated.

Health & Social Care lecturer Sarah Eskins said: “We were very happy with the event and would like to thank the staff and students for their generosity and support.”

Students from the National Diploma in Travel and Tourism and Health and Social Care at the Newtown site of Coleg Powys visited Cardiff recently to take in some of the Welsh culture and heritage.   The trip was arranged to fulfil the Wales, Europe and the World component of the Welsh Baccalaureate part of their course.

The visit took in a tour of the Senedd from AM Mick Bates, a visit to the Museum of Welsh Life at St Fagans, the National Museum in Cardiff, a tour of the Millennium Stadium, where they got to see the Welsh rugby team training, skating in Winter Wonderland and a tour of Big Pit, the National Coal Museum.

The students also took part in the Blue Dragon event at the Senedd to show their support to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Wales.

It was an enjoyable trip for the students, which enabled them to get a real insight into the history of Wales.

Lecturer Sarah Eskins said: “The trip allowed the students to learn about Wales by visiting sites that have a lot of cultural history and are an important part of Wales.  The students brought a lot of valuable information back.”

From September, students will have the opportunity to study for a Welsh Baccalaureate qualification alongside two additional courses at Coleg Powys, Newtown.  It is an exciting qualification for students in Wales that adds a valuable new dimension to the subjects and courses already available.

The Baccalaureate is being run alongside the National Diploma in Travel and Tourism and the National Diploma in Health and Social Care (Health Studies).  It is a level 3 Advanced Diploma which is recognised by employers and universities as it attracts 120 UCAS points, which is equivalent to an A grade at A Level.

There are five components to the qualification, which help students to develop as individuals, and will equip them for their next steps in life.  The qualification will provide them with Key Skills considered important by employers and universities. It also allows students to further their personal and social education, undertake individual research, gain work experience and participate in a community project.

When successfully completing the Welsh Baccalaureate alongside either of these courses students will leave Coleg Powys with the equivalent of four A Levels, providing them with a solid foundation for their future success.

If you would like further information on this exciting new opportunity you can contact the College on 0845 4086 200, email enquiries@coleg-powys.ac.uk or visit the website at www.coleg-powys.ac.uk.

Coleg Powys is offering a number of exciting new full-time courses for the 2009/10 academic year.

The College is now offering two Hair and Beauty courses on its newly equipped Brecon campus. The sport department at Brecon is also offering an Outdoor Pursuits Level 3 course, which will enable students to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of outdoor.

The College is extending its Welsh Baccalaureate provision to be offered in conjunction with the National Diploma in Health and Social Care and the National Diploma in Travel and Tourism, which can both be studied in Newtown.

The Welsh Baccalaureate is a qualification which is only available to students in Wales. It adds a valuable new dimension to the subjects and courses already available by adding personal development skills to them to make one wider award that is valued by employers and universities.

The Health, Social and Child Care Level 2 BTEC course is now offered at the Newtown site. This course is suitable for anyone who wishes to work in a child care or health and social care setting, in a supervised capacity.

The Information Technology department at the Newtown site has extended the Media Production National Award provision to include the option of studying T.V. and Film or Interactive Media, which is suitable for anyone who wants to work in the media industry.

There is also the Combined National Award Programme which gives students the opportunity to study four BTEC National Awards from an extensive range of subject areas, including Performing Arts, IT, Business, Sport, Travel and Tourism, and Health and Social Care.

For further details about these additional courses or on our existing range of courses please download the new courses booklet, visit the website at www.coleg-powys.ac.uk or contact Student Services by telephoning 0845 4086 200 or emailing enquiries@coleg-powys.ac.uk.