News & Events
Bridging the Gulf
- 12/09/2018
- Posted by: pembscollegesuperadmin
A team from Pembrokeshire College recently took part in a British Council project to develop a working partnership with a similar educational institution in Kuwait to help young people to acquire skills and training to contribute to their economies and communities.
The Kuwaiti Higher Institute of Energy, which offers electrical installation as well as many other practical, technical skills, was identified as a suitable partner college to work with two Welsh colleges because of the similarities. A partnership is being built between the Kuwaiti institute and Pembrokeshire College.
Project leader Patrick Groves, Pembrokeshire College’s International manager said:
‘This project provides opportunities for student and staff exchanges. The project can also open the doors to commercial training opportunities in other countries for the college. We aim to establish common curricular and standards across a range of countries. A successful project can raise the profile of each partner college and result in job opportunities and income generation. In the Kuwait context, a primary aim is to create a local workforce with practical entrepreneurial skills that can develop a broader economy. This is of course even more important in Wales in the current economic climate.
As a result of the visit, staff and student appraisal and tutorial processes from Wales will be introduced to their Kuwaiti counterparts, while Pembrokeshire College will use the Kuwaiti field experience aspect of their training courses and trial it here in Wales.
As part of the project, a film is being made showing how the two institutions are working together. Blogging and social networking platforms are also being utilised to aid sharing, understanding and communication.
Despite the very different cultures, climate and conditions, Kuwait and Wales share similar population and country size and expertise in the energy sector which it is hoped will be the basis for further collaborations in the future.
The project is all part of the British Council’s programme for ‘Skills for Employability’ which aims to better prepare people for work. The scheme aims to share the UK’s knowledge and understanding of effective approaches to skills development while being open to learning from the partnerships too.
‘We will be arranging student exchanges as part of this project’ continued Mr Groves, ‘which will be invaluable for both colleges. This sort of collaborative working really raises standards and helps the next generation acquire a global perspective which is so important as new markets emerge and economies change’.
Picture:
Energy Expertise: (left to right): Omar Al_Hamdan, Principal of Higher Institute of Energy; Patrick Groves, International Manager, Pembrokeshire College; Yahyah Al-Ali, English tutor at HIE; Hugh Roch, Deputy Director, Technology, Pembrokeshire College and Khaled Al-Rasheed, Head of the Training Committee, HIE, pictured during an official visit to the public Authority for Applied Education & Training, Kuwait.