A GROUP of Coleg Gwent students who were the first in the UK to complete a course through a European project have been presented with certificates by the minister for education and skills.

The students were the only ones in the UK who independently completed a unit qualification through the European Special Educational Needs and Disability Inclusion (SENDI) project.

The Education and Skills Minister, Huw Lewis, said he wished them every success.

He said: “The students have undertaken some really interesting work through the SENDI project, which I know has resulted in them gaining valuable and transferable skills, and I would like to wish them every success in their studies this year and in their future lives."

Coleg Gwent’s lead tutor on the project, Victoria English, said: "The students had worked really hard and their involvement has been an amazing learning experience as well as them enjoying the practical element of completing the unit.”

She explained that the students have carried out an enterprise activity working in a fruit and vegetable co-operative, supported by the Rural Regeneration Unit.

She said: "From the outset students were required to think about, having a good work ethic, safe working practices, customer care and how to work effectively as a team."

She said the unit qualification completed was ‘Order Picking’, which involved included taking orders from customers, liaising with the supplier checking the orders for accuracy and quality and finally counting the produce and packing it into bags.

She added: “The students have worked really hard and their involvement has been an amazing learning experience as well as them enjoying the practical element of completing the unit.”