Creating brighter futures

Weston College are delighted to announce our achievement of the Investors in Diversity Silver Award, granted by the National Centre for Diversity! Alongside this, we have also been ranked 11th place in the UK’s Top 100 Inclusive Employers.

A huge factor in how we have achieved this is by encouraging and embedding the FREDIE principles across the college (Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement). This Silver Award recognises organisations which demonstrate excellence in promoting FREDIE within the workplace. With this award, we as a college are recognised by the National Centre for Diversity to uphold their values confirming the colleges workplace culture, policies and practices provide a benchmark for other organisations.

Our EDI vision has progressed and so have our aspirations, making this recognition of our EDI journey and of our efforts extremely fulfilling. This is only the beginning, as we progress further and further to achieve our ambitions of true inclusivity, diversity and equitable place to learn and work. This is supported by our effective EDI committee and staff networks which drive initiatives for inclusion and comprehensive FREDIE training to foster positive cultural changes. The accreditation process also shows the college provides strong support for diverse student groups and mental health initiatives, as a disability confident level 2 employer, Weston Collee remains committed to embedding FREDIE principles and strengthening trust across our college community.

Our work was continued through our hosting of an Equity Exchange Conference with the Association of Colleges (AoC) on Thursday, January 23rd, where we shared our EDI journey with other colleges to maintain momentum and focus on this ever-important work. This work underpinned what we as a college stood for: welcoming everyone, creating opportunities for all, and celebrating our uniqueness. This silver award was an important milestone in the college’s commitment to creating brighter futures and fostering a truly inclusive and respectful environment.

Pat Jones, Principal and Chief Executive said: “Receiving the Investors in Diversity Silver Award is a testament to our dedication to fostering an inclusive environment. This accolade reflects the commitment of our entire college community to creating a place where all are valued and have the opportunity to thrive. We are incredibly proud yet aware there is always more we can do. Being placed 11th encourages and drives us to continue enhancing our approach to inclusion and engagement.”

This 11th placement is valid for a 2-year period which we aim to build further by strengthening the inclusive policies that drive it.

Operations Manager Aneesah Khan at the National Centre for Diversity said, “We congratulate Weston College, their staff, and stakeholders on successfully achieving the investors in diversity silver award following their assessment. This accomplishment reflects a significant commitment to workplace inclusivity.”

If you are passionate about education and are looking for an opportunity to join the staff team at a leading college, then look at the latest job vacancies available at Weston College here. You can find all the latest job opportunities that Weston College has to offer, with a commitment to providing quality education for learners and a focus on continuous professional development for staff, Weston College is an excellent place to work and grow in your career. 

This February Weston College and University Centre Weston (UCW) were delighted to welcome the Lord-Lieutenant for Somerset, Mohammed Saddiq and Denis Burn MBE, the Deputy Lieutenant. The Lord-Lieutenant acts as His Majesty's representative in Somerset. As a champion of the community, they support charity work and volunteering while upholding the interests of the Crown.

After arriving at Weston College’s Knightstone Campus, the Lord-Lieutenant and his Deputy saw students who raised money for the Weston Hospice Enterprise Project. This project challenged our business learners to create products that could be sold to raise money for Weston Hospice. This project raised £7289.87 for the charity. The students showed off their business acumen and the products that they were selling.  

After this, the Lord-Lieutenant and his Deputy visited the Inclusive Practice department to discuss the support that students with Autism receive at the College’s Weston Bay, our residential training facility. This facility allows students to get used to living away from home by managing household tasks like cooking, washing, ironing and cleaning, in addition to developing their social skills.

The visit then moved to UCW to see the impressive digital provision. The Lord-Lieutenant and his Deputy met with students on the Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship who explained how they are gaining skills which are needed by employers. As a part of this, the Lord-Lieutenant and his Deputy visited a practical session in the Networking and Cyber Lab. This enabled them to see how apprentices bring theory into practice using state-of-the-art equipment. 

T Levels can be a great stepping stone for students interested in degree apprenticeships. They provide a solid foundation of technical knowledge and practical skills that are often highly relevant to apprenticeships in industries like engineering, digital, and healthcare.

We spoke with two Degree Apprenticeship learners from UCW, Joshua and Alexander, who both also completed T Levels at Weston College, to discover how their T Level experience has influenced their success in their Degree Apprenticeships.

What T Level did you study at Weston College, and which degree apprenticeship are you now currently doing at UCW?

Joshua: I studied the T Level in Digital Production, Design, and Development at Weston College, and now I’m doing a degree apprenticeship in Software Development at UCW.

Alexander: I studied Digital Production, Design and Development (DPDD) and I am currently attending the DATS degree apprenticeship.

Which company are you currently working with for your degree apprenticeship?

Joshua: I am currently working for Motor Trade Technologies (MTT) a company in the automotive industry which create garage management software and multiple other solutions in the industry.

Alexander: I am currently working for Airbus.

What were some highlights of your T Level experience?

Joshua: My main highlight for the T-Level is the industry placement I did for TwistedWeb, which is the sister company to MTT, as it allowed me to get an understanding of life in a workplace. It also taught me soft skills with talking to customers and skills I needed for my exams in college. Another highlight would be the final major project in my second year, as most people would say they hate exams, this exam was the most fun I had. It included in creating a web application based on a scenario given and going through the steps of the software cycle – this was the best part of my two years there.

Alexander: The main highlight was the work experience! For me it was a very unique thing and my placement at Sen5e IT pushed my career forward a lot. Another highlight of my T Level was the teaching style, and the events that were held.

What inspired you to do a degree apprenticeship following your T Level?

Joshua: As a person who learns better by doing things in a practical way, I have always had my head set on continuing my education whilst gaining work experience, and the apprenticeship seemed like the perfect option. Also, seeing the students in the year above me in the T Level go to amazing apprenticeships, I felt like I should follow their footsteps and continue learning after my T Level.

Alexander: The inspiration came from a mix of working in the workplace, as well as the educational side of a degree apprenticeship. As degree apprenticeships work in a similar way to my T Level, I found that the balance between the work experience and college really suited me, so I chose to continue with the same balance on the degree apprenticeship scheme.

How has your T Level helped you with your degree apprenticeship at UCW?

Joshua: The technical and theoretical skills I learnt during my T-Level have been the biggest help. I was already familiar with programming languages and software development practices. This made it a lot easier for me to handle the challenges at UCW whilst also contributing to the workplace.

Alexander: The main thing that helped me with my degree apprenticeship from the T-Level was the work experience as it gave me an insight into what the work would be like and the transferable skills from coding.

How did you find the transition from T Levels to degree apprenticeship?

Joshua: The T-Level gave me a solid foundation, but the apprenticeship added another level of academic hardship, which took me a while to adjust to. Balancing work and study has also been a challenge, but it is still rewarding to see feedback on both university projects and work projects.

Alexander: I found the transition to be very simple! The T-Level prepares you for the degree apprenticeship – it really feels like the course was built for the transfer into a degree apprenticeship.

How has the work placement you did during your T Level helped you in your current workplace for your degree apprenticeship?

Joshua: My work placement during my T-Level studies was the most valuable part of it. I learned how to communicate with clients, working as part of teams and managing deadlines. These are skills I use every day in my apprenticeship. It also gave me a better understanding of how the theory I was learning in the classroom applied in the real world.

Alexander: The work placement I did during my T-Level was the best experience I have had in a workplace. It has helped me in my current workplace as I know how to act and how to present professionally within a work environment. All in all, it really prepared me for the whole of my current position at Airbus.

What advice would you give to anyone considering doing T Levels?

Joshua: If you are looking for a practical career, no matter what industry it is, and want to develop your hands-on skills while still getting a solid foundation in your industry, I would recommend T Levels time and time again. It's the best way to gain experience in a workplace and opens the door to apprenticeships, further education and even jobs. In my industry most companies are after experience when looking at CVs, and T Levels are your best friend when looking for experience in specific fields. One thing I had in my first year was the inability to gain a placement, but it took time and networking across the area to land a spot. I will always say not to worry and stay calm as there are always people to help you, the amount of support you get is amazing.

Alexander: Do it - plain and simple! The T-Level is the best pathway to prepare you for both the workplace and a degree as it teaches you to balance your time and keep on top of your assignments. T Levels also teach you all the essential skills that every workplace is looking for and there is nothing more valuable than that.

What advice would you give anyone considering doing a degree apprenticeship?

Joshua: A degree apprenticeship is an excellent way to earn while you learn. You get to apply what you’re studying in real-time, which is incredibly valuable. It’s hard work, but the payoff is worth it. I’d advise anyone considering it to be ready for the balance of work and study, but also to embrace the opportunity to develop both academically and professionally.

Alexander: Again, plain and simple, do it! It is the best way to complete a degree and hopefully acquire a job by the end of it! Again, it teaches discipline, time management and essential social skills. Although it is very different to the standard university lifestyle, it will teach you a lot more.

Find out more about T Levels here, and find out more about Degree Apprenticeships here!