Advantages of going to college
Pembrokeshire College offers a wide range of courses, at all different levels and has modern facilities and outstanding opportunities for sport, travel, work experience, social events and personal development. You will be treated as an adult. You will have the freedom to express yourself, but you are still expected to do your best to achieve your full potential. In short, you can be who you want to be.
What's college like?
The atmosphere at college is friendly, but we're serious about helping you to achieve your best. We expect people to treat each other with respect and have a commitment to succeed. College offers a superb environment to learn with great facilities and support when you need it. If you're a school leaver, there are a few things you'll need to get used to. There's no uniform, no bell every hour to tell you to go to the next lesson, and you'll have to take more responsibility for your time. This will prepare you for the outside world - whether you choose to go on to university or start your career. Experienced tutors will help you plan and stay on track to achieve your goals.
Bus service to college
'Free'bus service to college: Buses operate in term time from most parts of Pembrokeshire and some parts of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. Full-time students who are under 19 and who live more than three miles away are given priority and can travel free of charge.
Earn while you learn - apprenticeships
Apprentices earn while they learn at college. Generally, an apprentice will go to college five days a week in their first year and this will drop to one to three days a week thereafter, depending on the amount of theory and practical skills that are needed to learn or apply in the workplace. A Modern Apprenticeship is your opportunity to start learning new things and putting them straight into action. There's a huge choice of options, including many that might surprise you. You can certainly use an apprenticeship to train for a mainstream job, including the local energy industry, business administrator, hotel manager, skilled construction worker or manufacturing operator. Whatever your choice, you'll get the training you need to set you on the road to success.
'EMA' allowance for college students
Students aged 16, 17 and 18, who are not apprentices, may be able to claim an EMA allowance up to £30 a week for attending and bonuses for submitting work. There is also discretionary funding to help you study, for example, from the Financial Contingency Fund. Terms and conditions apply for the EMA allowance and all grants and funding. Experienced staff are available to help you with your application(s).
Vocational courses
Employers are looking to recruit young people with a good knowledge base, sound communication skills, and the ability to work with others, analyse problems and think for themselves. When you enrol on a college vocational course, you will start learning the skills that employers want.