The Speaker of the House of Commons gave Coleg Gwent students an insight into the heart of UK Politics when he visited the College’s Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone this month.
House Of Commons Speaker John Bercow and Blaenau Gwent MP Nick Smith visited the Coleg Gwent campus on Friday 6 June.
The Campus, which opened in 2012, provides state-of-the-art education facilities for Blaenau Gwent and the Heads of the Valleys.
The Speaker met Coleg Gwent students studying a range of vocational and academic qualifications including A Level Politics as part of the Parliamentary Outreach programme, which spreads awareness of the work, processes and relevance of the institution of Parliament.
Speaking at Coleg Gwent Mr Bercow urged students to aim for high achievement, he said: “In particular I wanted to get across that young people should take the view that the sky’s the limit. If they work hard, use their ability and take their chances, nothing should be beyond them. I wish all the students in Blaenau Gwent every possible success and happiness in the future.”
Director of the Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone, John Sexton, said: “We’re delighted that Mr Bercow chose to visit Coleg Gwent. Both students and staff enjoyed learning more about the workings of Parliament from someone with a high profile role in UK Politics.”
Speaking during the visit, Blaenau Gwent MP, Nick Smith, said: “It was brilliant to welcome John Bercow to Coleg Gwent’s Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone. His message about getting involved and participating in decision-making was really warmly received.”
The Learning Zone is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funded by Welsh Government.
