To celebrate the successful completion of the first year of their two-year T-Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction, a group of Weston College learners recently enjoyed an educational day out in Bristol.

The group travelled to Bristol, meeting at Temple Meads station before making their way to the Welcome Building – a 207,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art office development. They were given a guided tour by Senior Building Manager, James Puffitt, and Facilities Manager, James Ashton, who provided a detailed insight into the building’s design, features, and sustainability credentials.

The tour covered all areas of the development, from the photovoltaic solar panels and a backup generator on the rooftop, down to the cycle storage, showers, and lockers found on basement level. The building is fully electric, with heating and cooling powered by the Bristol Heat Network, which draws energy from the city’s river network. Learners were able to view both an unoccupied floorplate and a newly completed fit-out, preparing to welcome a new tenant the following week.

James Puffitt noted, “I was pleased the students took something away from the visit. They are our future, so it's important to inform and inspire them where we can.”

After a short break, the group visited a live construction site at One Friary, Temple Quay, where Beard Construction is carrying out a 60,000 sq. ft. office redevelopment. Site Manager, Jordon Marlow, led the learners on a guided tour of the site, where they watched a crane lift in action and observed different stages of construction, including structural steelwork, concreting, and metal decking. One of the learners is currently completing their industry placement on this site as part of the 315-hour work experience requirement of the T-Level course.

The day concluded with lunch at Bristol Harbourside, offering the learners time to reflect on what they had seen and learned and celebrate the end of the academic year with their peers.

Daniel Comerford, Construction Professions Lecturer at Weston College, commented, “I’ve been very impressed with the progress the learners have made since September. This visit was a great way to round off a successful first year, and I look forward to seeing how they continue to develop in their second year.”

If you’re interested in applying to one of our Construction courses in September, click here.

Some of our Travel and Tourism learners secured fantastic placements this year, giving them the chance to gain experience with organisations such as Bristol Port Company and with TUI Travel Agents.

At Bristol Port, eleven learners took part in a dynamic placement supporting the embarkation and disembarkation of cruise ship passengers. Working on shifts, the students assisted with security operations and provided visitor information services to passengers boarding the Ambition cruise ship, operated by Ambassador Cruises. As part of their experience, they also had the opportunity to tour the ship, offering a unique behind-the-scenes perspective of cruise operations.

The Bristol Port Company provided a comprehensive induction and training process to prepare learners for their roles. This experience proved to be a fantastic opportunity to develop key skills crucial to the cruise and wider tourism industries such as communication, cultural awareness, problem-solving, and professional conduct.

The Cruise Industry is a unit on the course, and this work experience provided learners with an inside look at the coordination between travel companies, cruise lines, port authorities and local tourism boards. Learners were able to see how they all work together and be a part of this. This is vital knowledge for a career in travel and tourism.

In addition, two learners undertook placements at the TUI Travel Agent branch in Weston-super-Mare. During their 37-hour placements, they shadowed experienced staff, sourced holiday deals, and created promotional signage for display outside the store. This hands-on experience offered valuable insight into a wide range of Travel and Tourism services, including holidays, package tours, cruises, destination weddings, and bespoke travel experiences.

Ben Melhuish, Head of Business and Tourism at Weston College, added, “Creating these links with local employers is imperative to the success for our learners on Travel and Tourism. Gaining real world experience in the operations of tourism in the local area helps us meet the skills needs of our employers, whilst also strengthening the transferable skills and employability of our learners when they finish their course. The learners have once again been a credit to their course and college and the feedback from has been extremely positive!”

Hannah Carstensen, lecturer in Business and Tourism at Weston College, shared her thoughts on the placement, “Work experience like this is highly beneficial for our Travel and Tourism learners as it provides practical exposure to the industry. The learners were able to gain an insight into the different Travel and Tourism products and services. This will help improve employability and helps learners build professional connections and references for future roles within the industry.”

A big thank you to the Bristol Port Company and TUI Weston-super-Mare for making this opportunity possible and providing an invaluable learning experience.

If you’re interested in applying to one of our Travel & Tourism courses, click here.

Last month, our Health and Social Care students hosted a student Careers Event where a range of healthcare and social care organisations were invited to Weston College to network with the students, giving the students the chance to present their work from this academic year.  

Throughout the event, the local care services organisation, Access Your Care, visited our learners and were extremely impressed by their hard work and maturity during their conversations. Based on this, the Recruitment Lead, Seb Farr, offered three students interviews with the company. 

These interviews were very successful, with all three students receiving job offers to become adult carers following their interviews. The students even received glowing feedback from the interviewer, complimenting their enthusiasm, knowledge, and passion. This is a credit to both the students and Weston College, reflecting their professionalism and hard work. 

Caitlin Honeywell, the students’ Health and Social Care lecturer at Weston College, said, “I couldn’t be prouder of Mel, Maddie, and Priscilla for securing employment with Access Your Care. Seeing them at their induction was such a heartwarming moment—it’s clear that they’re stepping into their roles with passion and purpose.  

This partnership is a fantastic opportunity for our Health and Social Care learners at Weston College, opening real pathways into meaningful careers. A huge thank you to Seb, whose unwavering support has been invaluable in making this collaboration such a success.” 

Throughout the academic year, Access Your Care have been attending every event, giving countless guest lectures into what they do around North Somerset, and engaging with our students to ensure they are fully informed of their options after college. This has created a great relationship with our students and the company and has formed fantastic opportunities for our learners. 

Seb Farr, Recruitment and Retention Lead at Access Your Care, expressed the importance of the partnership between Access Your Care and Weston College on the future generation of healthcare providers, saying: 

“As a care provider, we look for enthusiastic and knowledgeable people to join our team, those who really want to make a difference in the lives of others. Collaborating with Weston College is a huge benefit to us, the faculty staff not only teach the curriculum, but ignite passion in their learners, so that when they come to us to begin their careers, they are already excited to start having an impact on their local community. 

“The college listens to employers and what our needs are in potential employees, they also give us the opportunity to be a part of the learners' journey right from the start, by letting us engage with and run industry specific sessions with them. Weston College is not just teaching courses, they are setting their learners up for a bright future, so that when they join us, they have the skill set, knowledge base and passion to become a key part in the next generation of social care workers. We look forward to continuing to work with Weston College." 

Well done to Melanie, Maddie, and Priscilla for this fantastic achievement and good luck in your new role at Access Your Care! 

If you’re interested in applying to one of our Health and Social Care courses, click here.