In June last year (2022) it was announced that Weston College Principal and CEO Dr Paul Phillips CBE had been awarded a Knighthood by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in her Jubilee birthday honours list in recognition of his outstanding services to education.

Weston College is proud to announce that the now, ‘Sir Paul’ attended his Investiture Ceremony to receive the award from The Princess Royal at Windsor Castle on Tuesday 21st February 2023.

Sir Paul has dedicated his career to advancing education and has been a lifelong advocate for inclusive practices, mental health support, and higher technical education. As the National People Lead for one of three Department for Education National SEND Centres for Excellence in the UK, Sir Paul has shared best practices and worked tirelessly to promote an inclusive educational environment for all students.

Under Sir Paul’s leadership, Weston College has become a national leader in higher technical education, offering students a wide range of high-quality vocational courses that prepare them for the demands of the modern workplace. Sir Paul has also been a champion of mental health support, recognising the important role that education can play in promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.

Sir Paul is a truly deserving recipient of this prestigious honour, and we are honoured to have him as our Principal and CEO. His unwavering commitment to education and his passion for creating a more inclusive and supportive educational environment will continue to inspire generations of students to come. We extend our warmest congratulations to Sir Paul Phillips CBE on this well-deserved recognition of his accomplishments.

Weston College's Holly has been shortlisted for the UK Skills Competition Diversity Champion award, sponsored by the Education & Training Foundation, for her outstanding work in promoting inclusivity in education at HMP Portland.

As an inclusive practitioner, Holly challenges and changes the culture by recognising the diversity of all learners and creating a space where all learners can engage and have their voices heard. In a prison environment where many learners have learning difficulties or are members of minority groups, Holly has implemented aspirational education and skills projects  that represent these various groups in the prison, creating an inclusive learning environment.

Holly's dedication to inclusivity has broken down barriers and created opportunities for learners from all backgrounds to engage in dialogue and feel comfortable. Her efforts resulted in the first-ever PRIDE event in Portland Prison, which saw over 270 staff and learners sign up for allyship.

The Worldskills UK Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Heroes Awards celebrate the work of individuals who support diverse and inclusive practices in the workplace, personal life, or classroom. The nominees' passion and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion have inspired the awards panel, making selecting category winners challenging.

Weston College is very proud of Holly and the difference she is making in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. The overall winners will be announced on 23rd February 2023.

We spoke to Sue Kingman who is the Corporate Fundraising Manager at Weston Hospicecare, about the work that we do together and the impact that this has, not just for learners at Weston College, but also for the patients at Weston Hospicecare.

Weston Hospicecare cares for over 2,000 people a year in the local community with a life limiting illness and their families. We need to raise £4.5 million every year through fundraising to provide all our services and my role is to encourage business support towards this.

I started working with Weston College 2 years ago and our relationship is very important to the hospice.

We initially started working together on the Business Enterprise Project, which is a superb project that allows learners studying Business at Weston College, the opportunity to start and run a business, whilst raising money for Weston Hospicecare.

The learners are put into small teams, and given a business mentor, who supports them throughout the project, and helps them to develop valuable skills for their careers.

It was recently announced that this year the learners managed to raise £5,170 which is a superb effort, and one that we are all so grateful for.

We are now starting to work with the college on other exciting projects too, and we are really looking forward to expanding the relationship and playing an important role in the development of more learners across the college provision.

A big thank you to Sue, and the team at Weston Hospicecare.

Find out more about Business courses at Weston College, by clicking here.

We are always looking to improve our offer to support employers in finding local talent, but also for local adults to train in emerging industry trends.

Starting in April, we are launching a new 14-week course in Advanced Facial Treatments, in response to the growing aesthetics industry, with employers seeking fully qualified and accredited practitioners that have completed the highest quality training.

It will be delivered at the Hair and Beauty centre at the Knightstone Campus by fully trained practitioners with over 5-years of experience in the aesthetics industry. The training will be of the highest quality, using the best quality resources.

This course will give learners the opportunity to achieve formal, regulated qualifications, and the chance to grow their business portfolios. Clients are more likely to choose a practitioner who has trustworthy qualifications regulated by reputable awarding bodies and co-designed by local aesthetic employers.

There is no other local college that offers this course, and it is the perfect opportunity for those who want to enhance their skills and knowledge in the field of aesthetics. Our experienced instructors will provide a supportive learning environment and guide learners every step of the way.

So, if you're considering studying the course, I would say go for it! This is a unique opportunity to upgrade your skills and knowledge and take your career to the next level. Don't miss this chance to explore the world of aesthetics with Weston College.

Find out more about the course, and apply, by clicking here.

Jenna Ratcliffe, Divisional Lead for the Service Sectors (hair, beauty, hospitality, catering and counselling) at Weston College

Recently our A Level Media learners welcomed an industry professional to deliver an exciting guest lecture about experience in the film industry and setting up a media business. 

Like the current A Level Media students, Sheikh Shahnawaz (Nawaz) started in the industry by studying A Level Media at his local college in Birmingham. Since then, he has built a vast portfolio of industry networks and experiences, including directing his first feature film "Bluff" (available on Amazon Prime to stream). Recently he has started his own social media & video agency called "Ozel Creative", aiming to provide film production and marketing services all around the UK. 

Nawaz was able to host sessions to both Year 1 and Year 2 students. He motivated Year 1 students by sharing his past projects/experiences in the creative industries and providing valuable advice on what it takes to complete a successful film production for distribution. For Year 2s, he differentiated by focusing on potential opportunities upon completing A Levels, including employment or further education. Whether freelancing or overseeing his own media business, he emphasised the importance of exploring every opportunity and connection in the industry. The students also worked in pairs/groups to discuss a unique idea for a new media business to pitch Nawaz for funding. The interactive sessions really raised their confidence and ability to adapt to new challenges. 

Nawaz said: "It was my pleasure to talk to the students, I really enjoyed being able to share my experiences and hopefully made an impact on some of them to choose media as a career.". 

Ethan, Sixth Form Media Lecturer, added: "I asked the students to think of the bigger picture, beyond A Levels, on their futures and passions in media. Think of the potential employment roles and opportunities in the creative industries. Don't be afraid to try and experiment by coming up with new ideas and working at them. They can really become the next generation of media producers and content creators!" 

Overall, the students really valued Nawaz's talk on contemporary media practice, and they gained a lot which could benefit their upcoming coursework production and future industry employment. 

To find out more about A Level Media, click here. 

Last year we met Jonathan, who applied for our HGV Skills Bootcamp – and three months after completing his test, is enjoying his job as a lorry driver!

Our free HGV Skills Bootcamps are delivered in partnership with West of England Combined Authority, to residents of the South West, looking to gain a Category C Licence, which allows them to drive vehicles between 3.5 tonnes and 32 tonnes.

Jonathan was someone that always had an interest in lorries, but decided to use this opportunity to further his career. He said: “A close friend of mine decided to return to driving and he sent me the details of the course. As I was unemployed at the time and only doing the odd days work through agencies, I decided to take this opportunity to acquire my HGV Class 1 (LGV C+E) and turn my interest into a career.”

The HGV Skills Bootcamps offer participants free, flexible courses that last up to 16 weeks, with those that successfully complete the course being guaranteed a job interview.

Jonathan added: “The course was a mix of classroom and online based learning programme and as a self-confessed habitual student, I enjoyed this side of the course. My highlight of the course though was when it came to the actual driving as I was expecting to start in a Class 2 (Rigid) and was introduced straight away to a Class 1 articulated lorry. I was helped along the way by my instructor Mark, who was very encouraging – he inspired me with confidence that I could do this.”

On competition of the course, Jonathan started working with DX Freight, where he is an HGV Class 1 Driver.

On his first day, he was asked to drive to Heathrow, and as part of this, he had to swap trailers. Jonathan said of the experience: “It was a challenge, but one that I took up. I found this quite daunting at first to be honest, as I hadn't driven a truck since passing my test.”

Jonathan was new to the logistics industry, and has continued to impress his employer with this skills and work ethic.

He added: “If you’re considering the HGV course, I would say go for it! If you enjoy driving and travelling to different places.”

Find out more about our HGV Skills Bootcamps, by clicking here.

JOINING US IN SEPTEMBER – HERE’S THE LOW-DOWN ON ALL OUR TRANSPORT SERVICES

All of our campuses are easily accessible by road, train and bus. Weston-super-Mare’s main station is on the main line between Bristol and Exeter, and all three of our main sites are close to bus stops.

Joining Us From School in September? Then Make Sure You book Onto Your Welcome Evening!

Welcome Evenings will provide you with further key information about your chosen subject area and the programme for which you have applied. It will also give you an opportunity to have a more in-depth look at our facilities, meet staff and get any answers to questions you might have around what you will learn, how you will be assessed and the wider support arrangements available. This is a crucial stage in your applicant journey, as we will make sure you know all the key dates and activities coming up before you start your programme. We want you to be well informed and leave feeling confident that you have made the right choice for your post-16 learning.

Weston College appreciates the crucial role parents/carers and families play in supporting their children to settle in at college and be successful on their programme. We would therefore actively encourage all parent/carers to attend with their child.

My name is Dave Newman, and I am the owner and Chef Patron at The Ginger Pig Kitchen, here in Weston-super-Mare. The Ginger Pig Kitchen is a local restaurant, focusing on fresh food, served in a relaxed atmosphere with great service.

I hugely enjoy working with the college; watching the students develop and grow under our guidance is amazing – being able to reflect on their abilities when they first began, compared to the skills they have now, is so fulfilling as an employer. As well as skills development, their confidence grows massively too, allowing them to interact better with each other and the customers. The skills and the confidence growing in unison while working results in working towards a successful career in hospitality!

I work with the college in many ways, including delivering masterclasses, which take place throughout the year to showcase my skills to learners and teach them how to progress. I also detail what we do in my restaurant, the process of keeping the customers happy and why we do it in the way that we do.

The impact of the involvement with the learners on the organisation has been huge. They play an important part of the team, and massively contribute to the smooth running of the restaurant.

I truly believe giving learners a good chance at progression, showing them how to be a role model, and developing their workplace skills, will help them on the way to their next opportunity in hospitality.