NPTC Group of Colleges enjoyed its second visit to the annual Powys Careers Festival, with past and present staff and students joining in on a day full of fun.
Having taken place on the 7th of March, the event saw over 2,500 students from across Powys converge on the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth. The aim of the day was to show young people in Powys the opportunities available to them after they leave school or further education, with a variety of exhibitors and organisations present on the day.
Also in attendance was the 2016 winner of BBC’s ‘The Apprentice’, Alana Spencer, who acted as guest speaker for the day and met with a number of our students over the course of the event.
Alana acted as judge for the event’s in-house competition, where schools and colleges were invited to submit their views on ‘attracting young people to live and work in Powys’.
Judges were left impressed with students from our Brecon Beacons and Newtown Colleges, who both made it all the way to the final!
Those in attendance on the day also got the chance to meet our very own Ellie Williams and Eifion Jones, who alongside Alana formed part of a question and answer session to give an insight into their career paths.
Ellie studied at Newtown College (as part of NPTC Group) for three years, where she studied the Level Three Hospitality and Catering course.
The 20-year-old from Llandrindod Wells now works for the town’s Metropole Hotel, after a chance meeting at the annual Powys Careers Festival at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth.
Eifion, meanhwhile, is a current agriculture student at Newtown College and combines his studies with working on the family beef and sheep farm in Llangadfan, Powys.
He also owns his own welding and fabrication business, SEJ Engineering, and has recently won awards such as the ‘Lantra Young Person Land-Based Learner of the Year’ at the annual Winter Fair event in Builth.
The Careers Festival has proved to be hugely beneficial to Ellie, who says she is glad her College lecturers persuaded her to attend.
“Being at the College gave me plenty of experience, motivation and confidence,” she said.
“They kept encouraging us to get involved in different events. At the time, they didn’t seem as important but now I look back on those experiences and feel appreciative that I had the chance to have a go.
“For example, the Powys Careers Festival was something that I may not have attended if lecturers hadn’t encouraged us to take part in and it turned out to be hugely beneficial!”
Grateful for the chance to further her career, she said: “If it wasn’t for the course, I wouldn’t be where I am today. The course and lecturers certainly gave me the encouragement and direction that enabled me to learn skills, and gain confidence so I could get to the position I am in now.”
