Creating brighter futures

Emma, the owner of Unique hair salon in Weston-super-Mare, has been a Career Excellence Hub Endorser for our Hair and Barbering Department for over a year now. As a solo artist in the world of hairdressing, Emma does it all. She not only styles and transforms hair but also manages the intricate details of her salon's operation.  

Emma recently led a masterclass with hairdressing learners here at the College, in which she taught and demonstrated using effective and safe working methods when perming and neutralising hair, as well as the necessary preparation and aftercare. 

We were lucky enough to catch up with her and reflect on her experience with the college so far. 

Working with the college is an opportunity to share her love for hairdressing and ignite the same passion in the next generation of hairstylists. Over the past year, Emma has had the pleasure of hosting numerous students from Weston College for work experience in her salon. These students are often a mixture of excited but nervous, but are gaining the hands-on experience in the industry that will be a huge help in their future careers. 

Emma shares that having these students at her salon has been an opportunity to witness the remarkable transformation of their confidence. Their evolution is something Emma is proud to show her clients, who can see first-hand the impact of her mentorship. 

The highlight for Emma is watching the incredible growth in these students. Many arrive uncertain, but by the end of their work experience, they have blossomed into more confident individuals. Emma's guidance and expertise create an environment where these training stylists can put into practice what they’re learning at college, and excel in the world of hairdressing. 

Emma's excitement for the future knows no bounds. She eagerly anticipates working even more closely with Weston College, nurturing fresh talent, and helping them find their unique style in the world of hairdressing. With her continued support and the college's education, we can expect to see even more incredible hairstylists emerging from Weston College. 

Unique Hair Salon forms part of the Hair & Barbering Careers Excellence Hub. At Weston College our approach goes beyond the traditional classroom setting. Through industry speakers, workshops, employer projects, and more, we equip our learners with the real-world experiences and insights that set them apart in the competitive job market. It's not just about getting a job; it's about standing out from the crowd when they embark on their job searches.

Find out more about our Hair and Barbering courses, here.

Weston College Welcomes its New Student Union President & Vice-President.

It’s time to offer a big congratulations to the newly elected president of our Student Union (SU)!

Aleks is an A Level student, currently studying law, sociology, and history. After a strong performance at the Student Union presidential election, he is keen to get started. We spoke to Aleks and got his thoughts on his brand-new role.

What made you want to run for Student Union president?

“What made me run for SU president was the desire and ambition for change. I want to be the voice for anyone in the college, for whatever reason big or small, and to highlight the important yet forgotten issues.”

What do you hope to achieve as Student Union president generally?

“As SU president I plan on achieving a more well-rounded and open college, where issues such as mental health or exam stress are discussed openly and freely. They are discussed now but I want to make the college environment 110% open and relaxed.”

What is one area of the Student Union that you particularly want to focus on?

“One area of the student union that I want to focus on is its role. I want to raise its profile and have more students recognise the importance of having their issues or grievances voiced in an effective and diplomatic manner.”

How do you think your time as Student Union President will help you in later life?

“In later life I believe that my role as the SU president will help me develop my leadership skills as well as time management and most importantly problem-solving skills. It’s one thing to identify an issue but another to find an effective and appropriate solution that everyone will agree to.”

How do you think your time as Student Union President will help you on your course?

“I think my role will help my course by assisting my personal development, but at the end of the day I don’t want my presidency to be beneficial to me I want it to be beneficial to everyone in the college.”

Supporting Aleks is the new vice-president of the SU Ceilidh. She is in her second year of the level 3 Musical Theatre course. We caught up with Ceilidh to find out everything about her Student Union journey.

What made you interested in joining the Student Union?

“I wanted to join the student union this year as I had been student secretary last year and really enjoyed working with the team. I'd also love to be able to assist those who maybe struggle to find their voice or don't know how to go about making the change they want to see.”

What is one thing you would like to see the Student Union achieve this year?

“I would like to see some more opportunities for the Student Union to interact with students across the campuses.”

What are you most excited for as vice-president?

“As vice-president I'm very excited to be able to be a little more active with the events we hold and take part in a little more of the decision making. I hope that my time as student president allows me the opportunity to work with a range of students with varying interests.”

How do you think your time as Student Union vice-president will help you in later life?

“I plan to go into teaching, and I think working with people who are outside of those I would normally talk to will prepare me for future work with people who have a different outlook on life to myself.”

It’s clear to see that Aleks and Ceilidh are ready to get stuck in and deliver for the Student Union and the students at Weston College. We wish them both the very best of luck as the new president and vice-president!

If you are interested in learning more about the Student Union, click here.

Weston College are delighted to announce that Bristol Sport Foundation are partnering with the

College’s Sports & Fitness faculty to offer opportunities to students. Bristol Sport Foundation has a mission to use the power of sport to create active, healthy and happy communities in the greater Bristol area. The foundation works in communities to facilitate physical activity and delivers sports coaching to a range of people, including at after school clubs and holiday camps, with 3,878 children attending their holiday camps in July and August.

The College, which offers Sports & Fitness courses including BTEC Fitness and Sports Exercise Science, Apprenticeships and Higher Technical Qualifications in Community Coaching, has award-winning Career Excellence Hubs for each faculty subject area across the College with several industry partnerships in place. The purpose of Career Excellence Hubs is for College subject areas to work closely with employers to deliver a curriculum designed by industry, inspiring students with a skills focused curriculum. The Sports & Fitness Career Excellence Hub has key industry partnerships that highlight the breadth of careers available to students, offer work placements, develop the skills of learners beyond the qualification they are studying, supporting their progression to higher education and employment.

David Crew, Head of Business Growth & Employer Partnerships commented “Bristol Sport Foundation are a committed employer partner of the College, providing guest lectures to sports students and various work experience opportunities alongside their coaches who deliver inspirational activity in the greater Bristol area. Weston College, through our Career Excellence Hubs, are building collaborative employer partnerships aligned to our curriculum areas, creating a high-quality learner experience at our College and learners ready to progress to employment and higher education when they complete their course. We’re looking forward to having Bristol Sport Foundation as part of our employer community.”

Hannah Davis-Coward, Partnerships and Workforce Manager at Bristol Sport Foundation commented “We are committed to creating active, healthy and happy communities through our work in the region. Partnerships are key to the foundation, as is developing the pipeline of skilled talent that we need in the future to deliver our mission. We’re delighted to be partnering with Weston College, a large forward-thinking further education college with an established sports faculty, and we look forward to supporting students to gain experiences of work.”

To view our sports courses click here. Employers looking to work with Weston College can email employers@weston.ac.uk.