LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES
There is always so much going on across our various campuses and courses.
Stay up to date on our latest news here or check us out across social media.
We welcomed year 11 students into the Weston Digital Hub for a Digital taster day. Being one of the leading colleges in the UK for computing and digital studies, we want to give as many students as possible, the opportunity to study with us and reach their individual ambitions. Through the taster day, we showcased our exceptional lecturers and facilities that assist our learners in becoming successful in the IT industry.
9 students from Hans Price Academy and 2 from Churchill Academy attended the taster day, to decide if Computing and Digital Technologies was the career route for them; every student that was asked said they enjoyed themselves, and 9 out of 10 said they would attend a Digital taster session again, with the 10th saying maybe.
One of the attendees stated: “This day was amazing! I wasn’t sure this subject area would be for me, but I was wrong, and now my aim is to do as well as I can in my GCSEs to get onto the Digital course!”
They continued: “I loved working as a team and learning to play different games I’ve never played before!”
As a result of attending the taster day, and having the opportunity to join the Esports Academy, all but one said of the students asked, said that they’d want to apply for Weston College.
Sandra Bull, Dean of the Faculty, said: “Here at Weston College, it’s crucial to us that every potential student is given the opportunity to explore every pathway that could lead them to their dream career. The taster day was incredible, and the engagement, passion at positive feedback from the attendees is the reason we continue doing the work we do. We can’t wait to welcome our next group of year 11s to have their taster day with the college.”
Find out more about upcoming taster days, and other events, via the links!
In October we welcomed Gordano School to the College, where our Level 2 learners put twenty Year 9 students through their paces, participating in a jamboree of team tasks on our 3G pitch.
Students developed many ID skills such as rapport building and team work as they supported, coached and motivated the school pupils throughout the morning. Jamie-Lee, Level 2 learner, said: “This was an amazing experience and I was really impressed with the enthusiasm displayed by the Gordano Kids!”
On 21st October, World Esports Day, our incredible Esports team took part in a Twitch livestream Charity event for the Winston’s Wish; a charity supporting children and families coping with the loss of a parent or sibling. The event was in partnership with Coventry College’s Coventry Crosshairs, and the teams competed in games of Overwatch, Valorant and Rocket League.
When the goal of £250 was smashed before the first games had even finished, it was increased to an ambitious £500 in the break. Everyone was thrilled when that goal was also reached, reaching £506 in the end!
The results of the games are as follows:
Our Rocket League team lost 3-2, going the entire distance in the best of 5, and only losing after 4 minutes of Overtime. They showed incredible effort, however, and provided amazing entertainment for the audience!
The Coventry Crosshairs Valorant team were very strong, and won 13-5 against the Weston Waveriders.
Finally, our Overwatch team got a 3-1 win against Coventry, though the Crosshairs showed incredible resilience and sportsmanship.
When the stream ended, the average viewership was 55 concurrent views across 4 hours of stream time – the team were so grateful for the continued support throughout gameplay.
The lecturers want to give a huge shout-out to the learners who got involved and allowed this to all take place. It was an incredible event, and we’re so proud of everyone who took part, and a huge thank you to everyone who donated and watched the stream!
My name is Jack, and I completed my Nuclear Engineering Degree Apprenticeship with Weston College in July 2022– which was sponsored by the Ministry of Defence.
I applied directly for my role with the Ministry of Defence, who in turn had arranged for their apprenticeship to be delivered through Weston College. After completing my A-Levels I took a few years away from education to pursue a volunteering role overseas, and upon my return to the UK was looking at ways to follow my desires to become an engineer. Exploring my options, including a ‘conventional’ University course, I discovered the world of degree apprenticeships and was excited by the opportunity to learn academic theory and see its direct application in the workplace. The prospect of earning a wage whilst doing so was just an added bonus!
The degree apprenticeship benefited me in ways that my friends who completed conventional degrees never could; to explore the breadth and depth of my chosen discipline both with academics, and with working professionals. Additionally, I was given the opportunity from day 1 of my studies to contribute to and deliver work for my employer that was of real-world significance and consequence, not purely academic exercises. Being able to work whilst studying also enabled me to reaffirm that engineering was a discipline that I wished to pursue professionally.
Being an apprentice brings a plethora of benefits, ranging from the opportunities to gain practical experience, to being prepared for the world of work. Qualifying for student discount and getting paid to learn are rather nice perks too!
Furthermore, working for the Ministry of Defence provided some once in a lifetime opportunities, ranging from seeing Submarines in construction, to going out on Operations with the NATO Submarine Rescue System, and travelling internationally to work with colleagues around the world. The mentoring and support that the MOD provided, and the encouragement to pursue personal development was really helpful and enabled me to undertake additional studies at university, whilst also engaging in STEM outreach work with the Nuclear Institute.
As this was a new course, and I was part of the first cohort to be sponsored through Weston College by the MOD, there was a steep learning curve. Both for us, and the staff through the five years of the scheme. In addition to the cultural changes to learn, trying to learn Nuclear engineering wasn’t without its difficulties. However, despite challenges and setbacks we, my friends and I, were able to complete the scheme and we all graduated and have been able to take up full time employment.
Since completing the degree apprenticeship, I've taken up a role with Rolls-Royce Submarines, where I work as a mechanical engineer. This is an exciting role which I'm deeply enjoying, and one that my apprenticeship helped prepare me for.
Completing a degree apprenticeship is a really rewarding (and challenging!) way of furthering your own education and competencies. There are more and more opportunities for degree apprenticeships becoming available every year, and so it’s certainly worth considering! Take time to research your potential employer, and the apprenticeship standard, to make sure it aligns with what you want to do. If you find a good fit, then there is no better way of getting into the world of work whilst continuing your education.
Apprenticeships have the power to unlock doors, provide opportunities and prepare you for the workplace in ways that universities don’t. If there is an opportunity to pursue your aspirations through an apprenticeship, then I cannot stress enough how seriously you should consider going down the apprenticeship route.
Jack
Some of our wonderful Creative and Digital Media students will be creating amazing content as they help out at this year's Weston Beach Race!
Located on Weston-super-Mare's seafront, the annual Beach Race is the UK’s biggest Offroad Motorsport event. Spanning over 6 miles, the race brings in competitors and supporters from all over Europe, with over 100,000 people attending across the three-day weekend.
Our learners will be filming content of the race, crowds, and riders, alongside presenting their student-run radio station, Weston Waves, at the event.
Weston Waves was launched earlier this year and has been a triumphant success and excellent learning experience for our media students.
Between hosting shows and mixing music, the radio station has given our learners the opportunity to develop a vast range of skills, progress their understanding of industry-relevant practices and take ownership of their hard work. The Beach Race is a perfect place to evolve the Weston Waves station even further, interviewing sportspeople and covering a live event!
This is just one of many amazing opportunities learners on our Creative and Digital Media course get to work and interact with live projects, within a real industry setting.
The event will begin Friday 21st October 2022 and will run until Sunday 23rd October 2022. To find out more about the Beach Race, click here.
To find out more about the Creative and Digital Media course, click here.
We have seen fantastic progress with the fitness of our Protective Services learners. The majority of classes have been introduced to Initial Military Fitness (IMF) as well as more functional fitness such as stretcher races on the beach.
Students have done an amazing job so far, and will continue to be “pushed” for the remainder of the year. Students are also working on their fitness outside of college in their own time and take ownership on their progress, which is great to see. The benefits of this will help career progression as well as physical and mental health promotion.
Our Year 2 students also started on a high, completing a 1-night residential in the Brecon Beacons.
There was a reintroduction to map reading and a canoeing serial on Glyn. The learners camped overnight in wet conditions, which assisted in the development of resilience.
Weston College is delighted to announce, that four learners have been shortlisted, for the national Association of Colleges’ (AoC), Student of the Year Awards.
Each year, the AoC Student of the Year awards celebrate truly unique students from colleges across England who deserve recognition and will go on to inspire others.
These awards are an opportunity to highlight outstanding and exceptional individuals and showcase their achievements, talents and successes. These students have gone above and beyond to give back and positively impact their college and community.
The four learners who have been shortlisted, are:
- Jack – Apprentice of the Year
- Teryena – Adult Student of the Year
- Jack – Higher Education Student of the Year
- Paige – Student Green Commitment Award
Sir Paul Phillips, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, said: “I am so proud of the four learners that have been shortlisted for these prestigious awards.
“Each of the learners have gone above and beyond, not only in their studies, but also for their community, defying the odds and producing consistently fantastic results.
“I’d like to wish Jack, Teryena, Jack and Paige the best of luck, with the finalists due to be announced next month, at the AoC Annual Conference.”
The finalists for each of the awards will be announced in November, with the winners being crowned in Spring 2023.
Research by Forbes found that diverse teams delivered 60% better results and inclusive teams make better decisions 87% of the time. With impressive statistics like the ones above, it is becoming more and more apparent that taking inclusivity seriously is not only the right thing to do. but it also makes good business sense. As a result of this, a series of workshops entirely dedicated to ‘Become an Inclusive Employer’, are being launched.
To celebrate this launch we wanted to find out; what being an inclusive employer really means, what the workshops will involve, and what the impact will be. Lynsey McKinstry, our Business Partner Manager, and Nicola Lace, the Senior Operations Manager in the Faculty of Inclusive Practice (FIP), have had huge involvement with the workshops. Through them we got an insight into the mission of creating a network of champions of inclusivity.
Nicola has over fifteen years of celebrating neurodiversity, and with Weston college being one of only three SEND Centres for Excellence in the UK, this accolade showcases the serious approach to inclusivity that Weston takes. Lynsey works very closely with FIP, among many other faculties and employers, to create a seamless link between education and industry skills assisting in driving our region and workforce of the future forwards.
Both Lynsey and Nicola emphasised that these workshops are for anyone wanting to ensure inclusivity in business, ensuring staff, colleagues and customers are supported to access their products and services.
Being an ‘Inclusive Employer’ is highly important, as inclusion is for everyone, not just for those with visible needs; it ensures nobody is left behind. Furthermore, with mass resignations taking place across many businesses, the struggle to recruit is being felt across the country. Being an inclusive employer allows a much bigger talent pool to recruit from, allowing employers to access untapped talent and build effective teams with widening prospects. Long gone is the one model fits all approach, now employers need to open up working conditions, make reasonable adjustments and support employees. This will only benefit everyone! Lynsey also pointed out that this will make you stand out from your competitors, as you are taking steps to ensuring everyone is welcome.
So what do the workshops actually cover? Lynsey explains: “We start with some very interesting stats around neurodiversity, why some individuals are neurodiverse and what this can mean for your place of work. The workshop itself is actually really eye opening and positive with opportunity to talk to industry experts on taking the next steps into being more inclusive. The afternoon looks at effective and impactful ways you can put this into practice. The team will also be showing you some simple and interesting exercises that will make you really consider how people of different abilities perceive different tasks, and adapting them to play to everyone’s strengths.”
Both Lynsey and Nicola strongly encourage anyone to sign up and come along, Nicola even stating that “The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll be ahead of the change.”
Lynsey and Nicola conclude: “People deserve to be seen, heard and valued – we can all recall when we felt excluded or not welcome. We want to work with businesses and business leaders that want to change this! Working collaboratively and with mutual respect brings so many benefits; why wouldn’t you want to come along?”
For a small fee of just £99, you really can change the perception of your business, and create a positive impact, for both recruiting and retaining your workforce as well as creating an access to the purple pound and increasing your revenue. Find out when our upcoming dates are taking place, and how to book your place, here!
Marketing and Communications
The marketing department is responsible for promoting Weston College to the public, by promoting the Colleges courses, achievements and events.
Our aims are to attract learners to study within the Weston College Group, build and grow the College’s brand and highlight its reputation, and promote the College Group’s success, student progression and outstanding support for our learners.
The marketing department manages the College’s websites and official social media accounts, runs advertising campaigns, creates press releases, and manages many of the College Group’s events, such as Graduation, the Celebration of Success and the Business Awards.
We produce a wide range of publications including our full-time, Higher Education and part-time prospectuses, course leaflets and posters, and other documents such as the College’s annual report, magazines and newsletters, course brochures and the student handbook.
Weston College is committed to providing accurate and timely information for local, regional and national media, and the general public.
The marketing team is available between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.30pm on Fridays. You can get in touch with us by emailing marketing@weston.ac.uk.
All of our press releases are uploaded to the news section of our websites. News from the academies we sponsor, including the North Somerset Enterprise and Technology College, can be found on the news section of the Inspirational Futures Trust’s website. News pertaining to our Higher Education Provision can be found on www.ucw.ac.uk.
The marketing department produces most imagery and film in house, and keeps an extensive archive of the photographs it takes. If you would like a copy of an image featuring you or a member of your family, please contact us at photography@weston.ac.uk.
Our photos of graduation and many other events can be found on the College’s Facebook page. High quality images can be found on the College’s Flickr account.
Weston College is able to accommodate many requests to provide locations for film and photography. The College has a range of attractive, modern and adaptable facilities which can be viewed on our youtube channel.
We also are able to provide heritage facilities such as the Victorian Hans Price designed Conference Centre and, from September 2017, the 1927 Winter Gardens Pavilion.
For booking details, contact marketing@weston.ac.uk.
For enquiries about sponsoring key events such as Celebration of Success, Business Breakfast, Business Awards and Graduation, please contact the marketing team by email at marketing@weston.ac.uk.
