28 February 2011

Wales’ colleges in China for First Ever Skills Exchange

Further education college staff and students from across Wales are in China this week to swap expertise with their counterparts in Chongqing in the first official skills exchange between Wales and China, held to coincide with the Wales Week and St David’s Day celebrations organised by the Welsh Assembly Government.

On a trip of a lifetime, ten college students from Wales will gain an insight into specific industries in China including the beauty industry, construction, electronics and engineering, catering and the media.  College students from both Wales and Chongqing will demonstrate their skills in front of an audience and will also work together on particular skills to develop their respective knowledge. A massage; assembling an engine; installing power and lighting controls; photography techniques and award-winning digital stories give a flavour of the skills exchanges scheduled for 3 and 4 March. ColegauCymru / CollegesWales has coordinated the visit in conjunction with the British Council Chongqing and the participating colleges.

Chief Executive of ColegauCymru, John Graystone, said: “I am proud to be part of a consortium of Wales’ further education colleges on this landmark visit to Chongqing, China. The Wales delegation includes students who have considerable experience in skills competitions at senior levels, and among the accompanying staff are a WorldSkills judge and the Chair of Digital Stories Cymru.

“China is now the second largest economy in the world. Further education colleges across Wales are keen to ensure that students from Wales are given opportunities to make an impression on their Chinese hosts, experience the skills that are valued in China, and to learn about booming Chinese industries first hand.

Dr John Graystone concluded: “Alongside the skills exchange, further education college principals will use the visit to establish strategic partnerships with colleges in Chongqing. The high level delegation hopes to establish a solid working relationship between colleges in the two countries. Both countries have much to learn from each other and we hope a close working relationship between Chongqing and Wales will be of long-term mutual benefit to learners and staff.”

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Contact: Sylvia Davies on 029 2052 8384 or 07968 771913 

Notes to editors

1. ColegauCymru / CollegesWales is a national educational charity that represents all 21 further education (FE) colleges and institutions in Wales. Its mission is to raise the profile of further education with key decision-makers to improve opportunities for learners in Wales. For further information about ColegauCymru / CollegesWales, and the colleges it represents, visit www.collegeswales.ac.uk or www.colegaucymru.ac.uk

1. International Managers from six FE colleges in Wales visited Chongqing in October 2010 where the idea of a student skills exchange was discussed and developed with British Council Chongqing.
2. The International Coordinator at ColegauCymru has coordinated the visit in conjunction with British Council Chongqing and staff from the six participating FE colleges: Coleg Gwent, Neath Port Talbot College, Gower College Swansea, Coleg Llandrillo, Yale College Wrexham, Pembrokeshire College.
3. The participating students represent a wide range of vocational areas including: beauty therapy, catering, construction, electronics, engineering and the media.
4. The visit, which is being funded by British Council Chongqing, takes place in the first week of March 2011, coinciding with the Welsh Assembly Government-funded Wales Week in Chongqing.

1. The Chongqing/Wales link was established in 2000 through the personal recommendation of Premier Wen Jiabao during his visit to Wales.
2. The first Memorandum of Understanding between Chongqing and Wales was signed in 2006. A number of areas for potential collaboration were identified and  there was a signing of a formal Cooperation Agreement in 2008. The relationship has gone from strength to strength and now embraces collaboration in economic development, environment and climate change, science and technology, forestry and agriculture, education, health, art and culture.

1. Chongqing is located in South West China and is the largest of 4 municipalities in China with over 31 million people (7 million reside in the city).
2. It is a modern city with more than 3,000 years of history and is called "Yu" for short; it is also known as  Fog City and Mountain City.
3. It is 5,309 miles ( as the crow flies) from London Heathrow to Chongqing City.
4. It is currently undergoing a  plan for urban and rural development  up until 2020.