STUDENTS training for careers at sea in Pembrokeshire are set to benefit from enhanced practical learning after fresh backing from the Port of Milford Haven.

Learners on the Marine Engineering Pre-Cadetship at Pembrokeshire College will now receive additional hands-on maritime training, funded by the Port, alongside their classroom studies.

Launched in 2023, the enhanced programme is aimed at young people hoping to enter the maritime, deck and engineering sectors. It combines technical teaching with industry-focused skills to help students prepare for work at sea.

For the past three years, the Port has covered the cost of uniforms to encourage professionalism and team spirit among cadets. This year, its support has been widened to include a series of accredited practical courses delivered through the Royal Yachting Association.

These include radar operations, first aid training for mariners, navigation and seamanship, and professional practices and responsibilities — qualifications designed to give students recognised safety and operational skills before entering the industry.

Brian Stewart, Assistant Harbourmaster at the Port of Milford Haven, said the training provides valuable real-world preparation.

He said: “The Pre-Cadetship training at Pembrokeshire College gives students a real insight into life in the maritime, deck and engineering sectors, while building key qualities such as discipline and teamwork. It’s great to see these enhanced practical opportunities being offered this year, which will provide students with invaluable experience and a clearer pathway into our diverse industry.”

Tim Berry, maritime lecturer in the college’s Faculty of Engineering and Computing, said the extra funding would make a “tangible difference” to learners.

He added: “These RYA-accredited practical courses allow the Pre-Cadets to translate classroom theory into real maritime skills, building their confidence and readiness for a career at sea. We’re incredibly proud of the opportunities this partnership continues to create for the next generation of marine engineers.”

The Port, one of the county’s largest employers, has increasingly worked with local education providers to encourage young people into maritime and energy-related careers, helping retain skills and opportunities within Pembrokeshire.

More information about the Marine Engineering Pre-Cadetship is available at pembrokeshire.ac.uk.

Cover photo:

Pre-Cadetship students with lecturer Tim Berry and Port of Milford Haven representatives Brian Stewart and Emily Jones (Pic supplied).

by Tom Sinclair, Editor
IN POLITICS, mistakes rarely bring down a prime minister. Handling does.

In the space of twenty-four hours Sir Keir Starmer has lost both his chief of staff and his director of communications. Two of the most senior figures in Downing Street have walked away at the very moment the government most needed steadiness and control.

This is not a policy crisis. It is a handling crisis, and handling, fair or not, often matters more than reality.

The original issue, the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite his long-documented association with Jeffrey Epstein, should have been a short-lived Westminster row. A judgement call that some supported for his experience and others opposed on reputational grounds. The sort of story that fills a day’s headlines and then fades.

Instead it has lingered and grown, turning a questionable decision into a rolling argument about judgement at the top of government.

The reason is simple. The Prime Minister did not take ownership quickly enough.

This could have been finished in half a minute. Step outside Number 10, face the cameras, and say clearly that the decision was his, that on reflection it was the wrong call, and that the government was moving on.

Voters tend to forgive honesty. They do not forgive hesitation.

Instead there was silence, followed by briefings and then resignations from close aides apparently taking responsibility. That convinces no one. Everyone understands that decisions of this scale come from the Prime Minister. Watching staff fall on their swords simply makes a leader look weak and defensive.

That is how a small political problem becomes a story about loss of control.

The irony is that Starmer is probably doing exactly what many people said they wanted after years of chaos. He governs cautiously. He focuses on the books. He tries to fix systems rather than chase headlines. It is careful, technocratic politics.

But careful management is almost invisible.

The public does not see departmental reforms or balanced spreadsheets. They see confidence, clarity and momentum. When they instead see confusion and senior figures quitting, they conclude that something is going wrong, whether it is or not.

Meanwhile Nigel Farage and Reform UK offer little detail but communicate relentlessly. Their message is simple and easy to repeat. The country is broken and they will fix it. That alone is enough to dominate the conversation, even without a fully worked-out plan.

It is not competence that cuts through. It is clarity.

That is where the real danger lies for Starmer.

Prime ministers are rarely removed because of one bad decision. They fall when their own MPs start to doubt that they can win the next election. Once that doubt takes hold, confidence drains quickly. Backbenchers get nervous. Donors start asking questions. Quiet conversations begin about alternatives.

Two senior resignations in a day do not just look messy. They suggest that the centre is not holding. If upcoming local elections or by-elections go badly, that doubt will harden.

If Labour MPs begin to believe that Starmer cannot sell a story to the country, that perception alone could end his premiership, regardless of how responsibly he is governing.

The harsh truth is that you can quietly repair a nation and still lose office if nobody notices.

In modern politics, communication is not decoration. It is survival. Right now, that is exactly what Downing Street appears to have lost.

QUESTIONS are being asked about the condition of the newly-opened A40 Llanddewi Velfrey to Redstone Cross carriageway after sections of the road were dug up and replaced less than a year after completion.

The £60 million upgrade between Llanddewi Velfrey and Redstone Cross opened around nine months ago, aimed at improving safety and traffic flow on one of the main routes into Pembrokeshire.

However, motorists travelling the route on Monday (Jan 26) reported temporary traffic lights and lane closures while contractors removed part of the carriageway surface and loaded material into HGVs.

The works appeared more extensive than minor patching or snagging, prompting concerns about potential costs to taxpayers.

Pembrokeshire county councillor Huw Murphy said he had witnessed what looked like a significant section of road being lifted and replaced.

He said: “It was evident that an element of the carriageway was being removed and replaced, with lorries taking away the scalpings. The work appeared fairly significant rather than minor remedial works.”

Cllr Murphy questioned why a road opened less than a year ago would already require resurfacing.

“Even with limited engineering knowledge, you would reasonably expect a new road not to need this level of work for many years,” he said. “It certainly raises questions when you see substantial works within 12 months of opening.”

The A40 is regarded as a key gateway into the county, carrying commuters, freight traffic and tourism vehicles. Any disruption or repeat works can add delays and increase costs.

Cllr Murphy has written to the Trunk Roads Agency requesting an explanation and has asked for the total cost of the resurfacing works to be disclosed. He said he is happy for the request to be treated as a Freedom of Information enquiry.

He added that residents would expect reassurance that public money is being spent efficiently, particularly at a time when councils are facing budget pressures and council tax levels are under scrutiny.

The Herald has approached the trunk road authorities for comment on the reason for the works, whether the repairs fall under warranty or defects liability, and what costs – if any – will fall to the public purse.

A response is awaited.