Creating brighter futures

Deciding what to do after college is often daunting, whether you’re interested in university, an apprenticeship, or going straight into work, the best way to decide is to be fully informed of every option.  

One of our ex-students, Charlie, is currently on his second year of a Degree Apprenticeship at the Ministry of Defence (MOD). After finishing Weston College 2 years ago, Charlie came back in to talk to some of our A Level learners about all the benefits of a degree apprenticeship, outline the general structure, and explain the application process and entry requirements needed for a degree apprenticeship at the MOD.  

At college, Charlie studied A Levels in Computer Science, Economics and Maths and is currently completing the Digital Technology Degree Apprenticeship, a 4-year course that allows him to obtain a degree but also get some great work experience at the same time.  

A Degree Apprenticeship at the Ministry of Defence consists of approximately 80% work and 20% study and is normally around 4 years long. The university study aspect of Charlie’s course is completed 1 day a week and is delivered at the Weston College Winter Gardens. There are approximately six work placements across the 4 years, each lasting around 8 months and providing you with real-world skills and knowledge of a working environment.  

There are many benefits to choosing a degree apprenticeship which stretch outside of gaining more work experience than a normal university degree. For example, you also get opportunities to travel, a fully funded tuition and a competitive salary throughout your apprenticeship, a flexible work schedule with the option to work from home, the chance to work alongside amazing industry partners, and a high chance of continued employment once you have completed your apprenticeship. 

In order to apply for a degree apprenticeship at the MOD, you are required to have at least five GCSE’s grade C or above, and 3 A Levels or equivalent grade C or above, including Maths and a Science. If you meet these requirements or are on track to achieve them, you can apply by sending in your CV and a cover letter of why you would be a good fit for them.   

You will then be required to complete an online competency test in Maths, English and Computer Science; however, this application process can vary depending on the degree apprenticeship you apply for. High scoring candidates will be invited to the assessment centre in Weston to complete tests and, if you are successful, you will then be invited to an online interview. Provisional offers will then be made, and a formal offer will be sent out once you have achieved the required grades.  

Charlie also gave tips to the learners regarding the assessment process, giving a brief outline of previous assessment examples and explaining the typical attributes that the MOD look for in candidates, for example initiative and communication between groups.

He also provided advice for students considering a degree apprenticeship, saying, “you should apply to multiple degree apprenticeships but also apply to a university because that is your best chance of getting something.   

I applied to 5 or 6 and I only heard back from 2 of them. You may have a bad day, so your best bet is to apply for multiple and increase your chances.”  

The learners found Charlie’s talk helpful and inciteful, with their lecturer, Ana, saying “they asked questions until the very end of the lesson. I’d never seen them so engaged!”  

We’d like to say a big thank you to Charlie for coming in and talking to the students about his experiences and explaining the application process for a degree apprenticeship at the Ministry of Defence.  

If you’re interested in applying for our A Levels next September, click here.  

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.

The progression from college is often daunting, whether you’re interested in university, an apprenticeship, or going straight into work, the best way to decide is to be fully informed of every option. That’s why the Art and Design Careers Excellence Hub (CEH) organised a Fashion and Textiles lecturer from the University of the West of England (UWE) to discuss the available courses to some of our Art and Design students. 

The Fashion and Textiles guest lecturer from UWE, Tracy Fitzgerald, discussed everything from the variety of modules each year, to the different work placement opportunities and career pathways available.  

According to Tracy, there are three main areas of a Fashion and Textiles course at UWE: Fashion design, Textile design, and Fashion Textile futures. These three areas provide a range of different opportunities, roles and pathways for students. To get an idea of each of these areas, Tracy provided our students with portfolios from previous years that they could browse in order to experience the kinds of projects they’d get the chance to complete on the course. 

During this guest lecture, Tracy thoroughly outlined each year of the courses so the learners were well informed of what a university course may entail. This included explaining project briefs, the amazing employers that students have previously worked with on placement, the opportunities to study abroad, as well as outlining how the course is delivered by breaking down each year. 

A Fashion course at UWE not only develops a student's knowledge and skills in fashion, but it also allows them to develop more transferrable skills which can be useful in upskilling any role. This includes getting the chance to use different software such as CAD Design, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and more! 

The learners also learnt a bit about the exams and coursework, the hours they’d spend on campus, and the advanced workshops they would get the chance to partake in. This helped the learners gain a better understanding of how a university course is delivered and provides a better picture of whether this is the right route for them. 

Tracy also reassures the students by informing them that the base of the course is creativity. You are not expected to know everything before you begin, you’re simply expected to have ideas and be enthusiastic in what you are studying. 

Overall, the guest lecture from Tracy Fitzgerald proved to be very insightful and provided our students with a lot of information regarding what to expect from a university course so they can choose the right path for them once they progress after college. 

A big thank you to Tracy from UWE for taking the time to come in and give an amazing talk to our learners, it benefited them greatly.  

If you are interested in applying to one of our Art and Design courses in September, click here. 

The Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction T Level learners have had another exciting day out, visiting Uncle Paul’s Chilli Farm in Butcombe as part of their induction. 

Weston College have been proud partners of Uncle Paul’s Chilli Farm for many years and have supported many of our students during this time. It is an amazing charity that supports and empowers socially disadvantaged people with learning difficulties, creating an immersive and safe environment where they can learn, build their confidence, and prepare for employment. 

By taking our Construction T Level learners here, it gives them a better understanding of some of our partner charities and how important it is to give back to society. During this trip, they took part in team-building activities and learnt new skills to help introduce them to the course. 

Before the main activity commenced, the students took a tour of the farm to familiarise themselves with the environment, exploring the crops and admiring the animals as they went. They were then tasked with a team building, survival activity that required them to light a fire from scratch and boil a ‘Kelly kettle’ full of water to make everyone a hot chocolate or coffee. 

Once everyone was refreshed and hydrated, the students began working on their main task: repurposing donated pallets into furniture! 

Uncle Paul’s Chilli Farm had received some wooden pallets as a donation but had no real use for them, so asked our year 1 Construction T Level students if they could design and create pieces of furniture in groups that could be used around the farm, reducing waste and improving sustainability. 

Both groups decided to repurpose the pallets into seats so they could be used around the farm by both learners and visitors. Once they had been made, the seats were painted green, ready to be used around the farm. 

But the fun didn’t stop there! Some learners also took part in the ‘Chilli Challenge’ where they got the chance to try a variety of Uncle Paul’s homegrown chillies, some of which proved to be very hot! 

Daniel Comerford, one of our Construction lecturers at Weston College, said “everyone enjoyed the day very much. The leaners got to know each other better and worked together on the various projects, improving their communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills.” 

Overall, it was a very successful day that not only allowed the students to give back to the community, but also better familiarise themselves with their peers by working together to create furniture out of salvaged wood. 

As a college, we’d like to give a huge thanks to Uncle Paul’s Chilli Farm for accommodating our T Level learners and making the day so engaging. 

If you’re interested in applying to our Construction: Design, Surveying and Planning T Level in September, click here.