<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Last week we hosted a successful Fast Track Engineering Interview Event at our South West Skills Campus. The event provided an excellent platform for students to directly engage with leading employers in the engineering industry actively seeking new talent.&nbsp;</p><p>From Level 2 to degree apprenticeships, the event offered a variety of opportunities, providing students a gateway to prestigious positions within the region's most impressive&nbsp;companies. Learners were given exclusive access to renowned employers, without the need for a formal CV, only required to have a passion for engineering.&nbsp;</p><p>The event offered face-to-face interactions between students and key decision-makers, creating meaningful connections and opening doors to promising career paths within the engineering sector. Notable participating employers included Bristol Airport, Rotamec, Bristol Port Company, among others, highlighting the number of opportunities available to attendees.&nbsp;</p><p>If you missed out on this fantastic event, you can still browse our Apprenticeships page <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/apprenticeships/vacancies ">here</a> to find your dream career.</p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><strong>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 </strong><a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/jobs?utm_source=main-menu&amp;utm_medium=main-…;. 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.</strong>&nbsp;</p>

<p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">Last year Weston College and University Centre Weston (UCW) launched a new scholarship, for Engineering learners, in partnership with the Luke Wheaton Trust, which honours the memory of former learner Luke Wheaton, one of Weston College’s most inspiring apprentices working with Wessex Water.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">The scholarship, which is available for one student, per year, is open to any apprentice studying on a Level 2, 3, 4 or 6 Engineering apprenticeship at Weston College.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">Each scholarship is worth £4,000, with students receiving £1,000 per year for up to four years. The scholarship is renewable annually, subject to progress being made as agreed in partnership between the College and the apprentice’s employer.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">This year, Weston College and UCW announced that Heather, an apprentice with the Ministry of Defence, would be the recipient of the scholarship.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">Heather’s achievement marks not only her commitment to academic excellence but also her passion for expanding her horizons within the field.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">We caught up with Heather, to hear her thoughts on the scholarship, her experiences at UCW, and her aspirations for the future.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">When asked about the benefits she hopes to gain from the scholarship, Heather expressed her excitement about exploring various activities related to marine engineering. She plans to undertake a diving course and weld coding, recognising their significance in marine maintenance, investigation, and salvage operations.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">Heather credits UCW for fostering her growth both academically and personally. The university provided a supportive environment for her to acclimate to student life away from home and encouraged collaborative learning among apprentices. Utilising tools like Blackboard to organise her coursework, Heather found the practical labs and workshops to be particularly engaging, allowing her to expand her theoretical knowledge and develop practical skills.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">Regarding the support from lecturers, Heather highlighted the invaluable assistance she received from workshop technicians in her first year. As she progresses into her second year, Heather has found her lecturers to be supportive and helpful, further enhancing her learning experience at UCW.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">Heather commended UCW’s state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, which have greatly facilitated her studies. From well-resourced workshop facilities for machining, welding, and CNC to comprehensive laboratory setups, UCW’s resources have enriched Heather’s understanding of theoretical concepts and practical applications.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">Looking ahead, Heather expressed her anticipation for future modules, particularly highlighting her enjoyment of thermodynamics thus far. She looks forward to delving deeper into her studies and completing performance packs for her NVQ4, which validate the practical aspects of her apprenticeship, including problem-solving and quality assurance.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">As for her ambitions, Heather remains steadfast in her goal to pursue a career in marine engineering, acknowledging its diverse nature and the myriad opportunities it presents. While the specifics of her future role are yet to be determined, Heather’s unwavering dedication and enthusiasm ensure a promising journey ahead.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">Heather’s journey exemplifies the spirit of excellence and determination fostered at UCW, and her receipt of the scholarship serves as a testament to her dedication to the field of marine engineering. As she continues to embark on her academic and professional endeavours, Heather stands as a beacon of inspiration for aspiring engineers everywhere.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0px;">Well done Heather!&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:0px;margin-top:0px;">You can find out about engineering at Weston College by <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/engin… here</a>, and find out about apprenticeships by <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/apprenticeships">clicking here</a>.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0px;margin-top:0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:0px;margin-top:0px;"><span class="ui-provider a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr"><strong>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 </strong></span><a class="fui-Link ___1rxvrpe f2hkw1w f3rmtva f1ewtqcl fyind8e f1k6fduh f1w7gpdv fk6fouc fjoy568 figsok6 f1hu3pq6 f11qmguv f19f4twv f1tyq0we f1g0x7ka fhxju0i f1qch9an f1cnd47f fqv5qza f1vmzxwi f1o700av f13mvf36 f1cmlufx f9n3di6 f1ids18y f1tx3yz7 f1deo86v f1eh06m1 f1iescvh fhgqx19 f1olyrje f1p93eir f1nev41a f1h8hb77 f1lqvz6u f10aw75t fsle3fq f17ae5zn" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/jobs?utm_source=main-menu&amp;utm_medium=main-…; aria-label="Link here" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/jobs?utm_source=main-menu&amp;utm_medium=main-… class="ui-provider a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr"><strong>here</strong></span></a><span class="ui-provider a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr"><strong>. 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.</strong></span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0px;margin-top:0px;">&nbsp;</p>

<div style="float:right;width:50%;"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oeWk0CxblmI?si=46WOepQfs45F5Boe&quot; width="560"></iframe></div><p>It’s official, <a href="https://www.ucw.ac.uk/">University Centre Weston (UCW)</a> is among the best places to study at university level in the UK, according to the results of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) published on September 28th 2023.</p><p>The TEF panel considered the overall rating for UCW to be Gold, placing it among the country’s best university and college higher education providers. This recognition by the TEF Panel reflects UCW’s unwavering dedication to providing outstanding education to a diverse student body and places it within the top 20% in the UK and one of only six colleges nationally to achieve the status.</p><p>The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a national scheme run by the Office for Students (OfS) that aims to encourage higher education providers to improve and deliver excellence in the areas that students care about the most: teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies.</p><p>The TEF does this by assessing and rating universities and colleges for excellence above a set of minimum requirements for quality and standards.</p><p>Providers that take part in the TEF receive an overall rating as well as two underpinning ratings – one for the student experience and one for student outcomes.</p><p>The ratings reflect the extent to which a provider delivers an excellent experience and outcomes for its mix of undergraduate students and across the range of its undergraduate courses and subjects.</p><p>Hundreds of higher education institutions in England, Wales and Scotland have had their teaching quality, learning environment, and student outcome data assessed by the TEF Panel and rated as either Gold, Silver, Bronze or Requires Improvement.</p><p>The TEF Panel judged that UCW delivers consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students, which is of the highest quality found in Britain.</p><p>Jacqui Ford, Interim Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group expressed her delight, saying,</p><p>“This achievement represents a significant milestone for our region, confirming the excellence of our institution for higher education. Furthermore, it underscores the Weston College Group’s positive impact on learners both locally and nationally. Attaining Gold status also validates UCW’s approach of seamlessly blending high-quality academic learning with practical, career-oriented education, providing our students and university partners with confidence in our offerings.”</p><p>Ford extended her gratitude to the dedicated staff at UCW, Weston College, and partner universities, recognising their instrumental role in achieving this remarkable status. She noted:</p><p>"Our journey to this point would not have been possible without the invaluable support of my predecessor Sir Paul Phillips who led the Weston College Group since 2001 until his retirement in August 2023, our partner universities, the University of the West of England, Bath Spa University, and Hartpury University, as well as UCW’s Vice Principal for Higher Education, Sadie Skellon. The dedication of our staff, and governors, and the collaborative efforts with the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership and North Somerset Council have also been essential in reaching this remarkable achievement.”</p><p>UCW’s Vice Principal for Higher Education, Sadie Skellon added:</p><p>“The TEF Panel has recognised the efforts of the talented and dedicated students and staff that we have at UCW and across the Weston College Group, and the value of the outstanding support we provide.</p><p>“UCW is committed to being an inclusive institution, promoting participation from students from all backgrounds and supporting students to ensuring positive outcomes for all. We have strategic aims to articulate this and are pleased the OfS has acknowledged that UCW ‘tailors provision and succeeds in its aim of supporting underrepresented groups of students from its region to achieve in their studies’.</p><p>In addition to praise for the student experience, UCW was praised for its supportive learning environment, offering students access to a wide range of high-quality academic support tailored to their needs. The institution has also demonstrated a commitment to embedding employability and entrepreneurship into its course content, preparing students for successful futures.</p><p>UCW’s dedication to research, innovation, scholarship, professional practice, and employer engagement further enhances the academic experience, contributing to the institution’s outstanding standing in the TEF.</p><p>This Gold rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework solidifies UCW’s status as a leading institution committed to excellence in higher education.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>