Added value
Trinity provides many opportunities for students to take part in activities that will broaden their experiences. Some are provided as part of the course; others are in addition to the programme of study. They all, however, enable our students to develop professional and personal skills.
Study visits and field trips
Opportunities for study visits and field trips are offered to most students. Although these are not always integral to the courses, in many cases, they enable you to apply your knowledge to professional practice and serve to broaden your experience of your subject. In the past, students have enjoyed visits and field trips to such places as national parks, museums, galleries and theatres within the UK, including London’s art galleries, museums and West End shows. Some also travel as far afield as Poland, Norway, France, Italy, Ireland, Spain, New Zealand and the United States to study aspects of their courses and to gain an international perspective on their chosen subject areas.
Placement schemes
Trinity is a part of the Graduate Opportunity Wales (GO Wales) programme. GO Wales offers a range of services proven to help students, graduates and businesses in Wales including work placements, work experience, funding for training and an online database of jobs in Wales.
Work Placements - A ten week programme designed for students and graduates to gain experience whilst working in a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME). A high proportion of our graduates who take part in the programme progress to full-time employment.
Work Tasters - Work experience provides a useful insight into particular jobs and may help you decide on the right career path for you. Going on work experience can lead to job offers and can assist in employment and higher education applications.
Job Shop is a service that is run both online, and through the Careers Office and we have details of many part-time/casual jobs throughout the region on our database.
Creating a culture of enterprise
The Development Unit is responsible for developing Trinity’s work outside its core teaching and learning function. This includes the University’s economic, social and cultural dimensions, which are supported through Dynamo, the Third Mission Fund and the Wales Spin Out (WSP) Framework.
Dynamo supports student/ graduate entrepreneurship. Students can take part in events and activities organised through an enterprise club and also through collaboration with other institutions. Dynamo also supports activities for undergraduates and graduates to explore opportunities for selfemployment, including financial support for fledgling high growth business start-ups. Students and staff are able to benefit directly from these activities by obtaining support for developing projects, initiating business ideas, turning an idea into a real business.
The Wales Spin Out framework assists the establishment of ‘College companies’, where staff and/or students take expertise from within the University and spin it out to create a business.
Third Mission impacts positively on economic and social enterprise and development, supporting the development of capital projects for the University, the development and delivery of consultancy and other services to business, as well as underpinning support for activities such as gaining Fair Trade status and the Trinity Arts Festival.
As a student at Trinity, you’ll have the opportunity to develop a range of skills sought by employers
Developing employability skills
Research conducted by several external bodies shows that the attributes most sought after by employers are the willingness to learn, commitment, dependability, self motivation, team work, written and oral communication skills, co-operation, drive and energy, selfmanagement and problem solving. As a student at Trinity, you will have opportunities to develop many of these skills as part of your courses, as well as others, including coaching awards, IT skills, Welsh language and a range of University and Church College certificates. In addition, the Development Unit regularly organises social events with visiting guest speakers on a range of business related topics and offer training sessions on everything from personal presentation to company law. Its activities are designed to raise awareness of self employment opportunities, but also to develop useful life skills for any employment context, eg, how to manage your bank manager!
Education partnerships
Trinity is the oldest provider of teacher training courses in Wales and has a well-established tradition in the field of education. The provision now extends to include non-teaching degrees in subjects relating to education, social inclusion, youth and community work. Our students benefit from our experience and extensive links with a broad range of organisations. We have partnership arrangements with over 250 primary schools and 30 secondary schools. We work closely with many organisations that are concerned with education and the development of the individual, including family centres, community centres, day nurseries, sports organisations, the prison service and several organisations overseas. The University has an agreement with the Llanelli Scarlets’ Academy which enables players to combine study and rugby.
Photo: Scarlets’ Director of Rugby, Phil Davies and Principal Dr Medwin Hughes with Trinity/Scarlets Academy students
South West Wales Centre for Teacher Education
As part of national developments in the field of initial teacher education and training, Trinity University College and Swansea Metropolitan University are in the process of establishing the South West Wales Centre for Teacher Education. This centre will work closely with partner schools across West and South Wales to provide a variety of accredited programmes to trainee teachers and experienced teachers alike. The structure agreed by the institutions means that from September 2009 Trinity University College will be responsible for the BA Primary Education with QTS programme whilst Swansea Metropolitan University will be responsible for the PGCE Primary programme.
The Welsh language
Trinity is a naturally bilingual University where English and Welsh live comfortably side-by-side. There’s plenty of opportunity for you to improve your Welsh or to learn the language if you wish. We offer a number of courses through the medium of English, Welsh and bilingually. This means that if you are studying an English medium course, you could study parts through the medium of Welsh. There is also a lively Welsh Society that organises events and entertainment for its members.
Trinity University College and University of Wales Lampeter
Trinity and UW Lampeter are currently discussing the feasibility of working together to create a new university to serve the needs of communities in South West Wales as well as the wider needs of Wales in an international context. The new university will capitalise on both institutions’ expertise and knowledge to create a dynamic organisation providing greater opportunities and added value to students from within the region and from further afield. Above all the new university continue Trinity and Lampeter’s commitment to providing a quality experience of higher education for its students to help them achieve their full potential.
