#gowercollegeswansea — Public Fediverse posts

Pupils join civic and faith leaders to mark Holocaust Memorial Day in Swansea

The annual commemoration honours the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust and in genocides around the world. This year marks 81 years since the liberation of Auschwitz‑Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp complex.

Students from Bishop Vaughan, YG Penllergaer, YG Penyrheol, YGG Bryntawe, Christchurch Primary, Blaenymaes Primary, Penyrheol Comprehensive, Olchfa and YG Tan‑y‑Lan took part, alongside learners from Gower College Swansea.

They were joined by Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart, the Lord Mayor of Swansea Cheryl Philpott, the Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan Louise Fleet, and representatives from Swansea’s multi‑faith communities.

Norma Glass MBE, a leading figure in Swansea’s Jewish community, closed the ceremony.

Cllr Stewart said the day remained a vital moment of reflection:

“January 27 marks the day in 1945 when Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp in Poland, was liberated and the remaining prisoners set free.

“Holocaust Memorial Day has become an occasion of remembrance for all those who have suffered and died due to acts of genocide.

“Today’s theme about bridging generations is about ensuring that we continue to remember, commemorate and commit to preventing genocide for the good of our children and their children.

“As those with direct experience of surviving the reality of genocide pass on, it’s our duty not to forget.

“It is through events such as today and the very moving and thought‑provoking contributions from our schools that we challenge ourselves to stand up against such tyranny.”

“I wouldn’t be in this position without her.” – Neath student takes first step towards legal career with careers adviser support 

Through her school’s careers adviser, Rebecca Mogford, Beth discovered new options she hadn’t considered before. 

Beth explained: “I told Rebecca that my interest was in law and I didn’t really want to go to university, but I was really open to college. So initially I thought I’d be doing maybe A levels and law would be one of the options.”  

Rebecca helped Beth to research options and found that JCP Solicitors offered apprenticeships through CILEX (Chartered Institute of Legal Executives). She also encouraged Beth to attend an open evening to learn more. 

Beth said: “I found the open evening really helpful because I was able to see what kind of environment I would be working in if I was successful. They even showed me step by step how my career route would look.” 

After the open evening at JCP Solicitors, Beth felt confident she wanted to apply for the apprenticeship. Rebecca suggested ways to enhance Beth’s CV, such as practising touch typing, completing online courses, and learning the phonetic alphabet. 

Beth explained: “Rebecca really did enhance my CV, which I then applied with, and they offered me an interview. I had an in-person interview and then within a week they gave me a start date. It all started from that meeting with Rebecca.” 

Now, Beth works as an apprentice at JCP Solicitors. She spends four days a week in the business support team and one day a week at Gower College studying for her CILEX qualification. After that she hopes to progress to Level 5, with the long-term goal of becoming a solicitor. 

Beth said: “I don’t think there’s much awareness about all the apprenticeships that are out there. I never knew I’d be able to do an apprenticeship in law. You’re earning while you’re learning and getting practical experience.” 

Her sessions with Rebecca gave her the confidence to pursue her goal. 

“I wouldn’t be in this position without her. She definitely built my confidence towards applying for this role.” 

Beth’s story is just one example of how Careers Wales empowers young people to take confident steps toward their futures. In schools, careers advisers like Rebecca held over 80,000 guidance sessions with young people, supporting pupils like Beth to explore their career options. 

Across Wales, young people were equipped with the tools and experiences they need for life beyond the classroom. More than 38,600 learners took part in group career-planning sessions and Careers Wales coordinated 1,704 employer-led activities—ranging from mock interviews to site visits—with secondary schools.  

Last year alone, over 420,000 individuals used the Careers Wales website, with over 46,000 using the Career Match Quiz to discover jobs aligned with their skills and interests. 

[Lead image: Careers Wales]

#CareersWales #CILEX #GowerCollegeSwansea #JCPSolicitors