Childcare students spend a day at university to explore early years education

Childcare learners from Coleg Ceredigion’s Aberystwyth campus recently visited University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) in Carmarthen where they explored the early years department and got to experience university life first-hand.

A variety of engaging sessions were designed and delivered by the university to support learners’ personal and professional development.

These included a leadership skills session, encouraging confidence, teamwork, and communication; and an immersive session, providing hands-on experience in early years learning approaches.

Students also took part in a speech and language session through storytelling, demonstrating the importance of communication, language development, and creativity in early years practice.

Annwen Evans, Coleg Ceredigion childcare lecturer said: “The visit offered valuable insight into progression opportunities within the early years sector and helped learners develop key skills to support their studies and future careers. 

“Learners were enthusiastic, fully engaged, and represented the college exceptionally well throughout the day.

“We would like to extend our thanks to the early years team at UWTSD Carmarthen for their warm welcome and for providing such an enriching and memorable experience for our learners.”

Soffi Morgan, one of the students who part said: “I enjoyed the trip as I learned a lot about children’s role-playing by telling stories. I also enjoyed the lessons they taught us, especially the importance of teamwork when building a tower out of marshmallows and spaghetti.”

Student Erin Davies added: “I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Trinity. It changed my thoughts on university and sparked an interest in furthering my academic learning journey. 

“Alison in particular encouraged me to apply for the early years course, her lesson really caught my attention, was very informative, and I feel as though I learnt a lot. 

“Her learning style was very engaging, as was Natasha Young’s lesson, which was a great way to incorporate learning with play and make the experience both fun and educational.”