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.
A message from University Centre Weston...
Whether you are an adult or a college leaver there’s still time to apply with us and start in September 2022. We're here to help you with your application...
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO NEXT?
1. Take a look at our courses and decide which is right for you.
2. Fill out the form on this page.
3. A member of the team will send you a text to arrange a phone call. On this call they will talk you through the application process and answer any questions you have!
The doors of the Construction Training Centre will be opening on Saturday the 16th July to welcome women over the age of 18, with an interest in pursuing a career in the construction industry, and employers with an interest in hiring them! The aim of this event is to help to bring diversity to the field, and display the breaking of gender norms.
Throughout the day, there are two sessions; the first of which is an employer business breakfast which is being sponsored by Kier Construction who actively support the 'Women in Construction' agenda. The session will run from 08:30-11:00, and is perfect for women already in construction to have some hands on experience using plant and to find out more about CITB and other funding streams to help continue to train and upskill existing workforces for the future.
The second session is for the women looking to find out if construction is the path for them, and is taking place at 11:30-13:30.
During the later sessions, attendees will be presented with a hands-on approach to try construction related activities such as driving reverse lorries and experiencing a virtual reality 360 excavator.
There will be the opportunity to enrol onto one of our many short training courses based around different aspects of what to expect on site, and to give a deeper insight and introduction.
Louise Greene, Business Growth and Employer Partnership Manager, said: “We are so excited to open our doors to women looking into working in construction, it’s so important to ensure diversity in every field. Weston College will be able to support women into local roles in construction via the 'Constructing Lives Together Project' and through apprenticeship opportunities.
“We aim to support the women signing up through apprenticeships, short courses, and health and safety qualifications to develop their skills and have a successful career on site and in professional construction roles.”
Our incredible cohort of performing arts learners took to the stage at The Blakehay Theatre in May 2022 for their final show of the year: Little Shop of Horrors!
Little Shop of Horrors is a mouth-watering sci-fi horror musical with a 60s pop/rock score, guaranteed to keep you away from any florist for a looooong time!
This electrifying musical features numbers such as Suddenly Seymour, Be a Dentist, Somewhere That’s Green, and of course the title song Little Shop of Horrors.
The meek and dejected assistant Seymour happens upon a strange plant, which he affectionately names “Audrey II” after his crush on the simple and downtrodden Audrey. Little does he know that this unusual plant will develop an unquenchable thirst for HUMAN BLOOD!
85 learners from Foundation Learning have participated in the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Duke of Edinburgh award. Each award has three aspects: volunteering, learning a new skill, and sport activities - as well as a hiking expedition in teams.
The Duke of Edinburgh was particularly popular this year, as it allowed learners to get active outdoors with their friends – something they missed during the pandemic.
19 DofE expeditions have run from May till June, involving the learners undertaking the award. These expeditions consisted of walking 6 hours, and up to 10 miles a day over the Mendip hills.
It wasn’t an easy expedition either, with constantly changing conditions, which included braving extreme heart and rain to complete the hike, but found music, singing, and general high spirits were the keys to keeping the enthusiasm high.
All the learners completed the expedition with smiles on their faces and great comradery, each demonstrating great pride in achieving the widely recognised award.
We asked some of the young people who took part in the expedition. One learner said:
“The expedition has been so fun, and challenging at times. On the first day I struggled with my health, but other than that it’s been great fun. we played uno, and roasted marshmallows which was fun for everyone.”
Another learner commented:
“I’ve found the expedition challenging because of the heat and the distance on day 2. What has been good in the expedition was being able to have breaks on the long distance walks and having music on the walks and being with the team and getting through it together”
We’re so proud of all our learners who completed the Duke of Edinburgh award, and we hope you find the skills you developed highly beneficial to your future.
According to the National Cyber Security Centre, with cyber security information overload, many organisations find it difficult to explain the technical aspects of cyber security in ways that are relevant to their staff. With this in mind Weston College have developed a unique blended Cyber Security CPD course, which is being rolled out to their staff, as part of its significant investment and commitment to train all of its key staff in cyber security awareness.
The model developed in partnership with its digital experts as a Microsoft Showcase College and its IT experts as members of the BCS Chartered Institute of IT and CISCO Networking Academy combines online knowledge with the chance to separate fact from fiction, using interactive demonstrations and Q&A’s with a cyber security expert to offer a ‘real world’ learning experience.
The event which was held in the prestigious Winter Gardens was led by one of the College’s tutors, who is a leading UK cyber specialist with a proven track record of effective cyber security training, coupled with extensive experience of working with Avon and Somerset Police.
The session was not only designed to engage staff to gain a better understanding of cyber security at work and how to minimise risk, it also was designed to show the impact of cyber security at home and even included a simulated ‘live hack’, to show staff how easy it is for cyber criminals to access personal and sensitive information and how they exploit it.
Mark Barnett the Dean of Faculty for Digital said “The course was underpinned by a recognised qualification and digital badge to recognise the collective achievement made. With over 200 staff trained to date - this was by no means a passive event and attendees have openly praised its approach to provide the simple tools and techniques needed to improve cyber safety in the workplace and at home. The style of training definitely brought the message home with 100% stating that it had significantly raised their understanding of cyber security, through the real world learning of a ‘simulated hack’ before their very eyes, and the opportunity for in depth discussion with such a high qualified cyber security professional. Attendees also had access to the College’s convenient and easy to use online platform to provide key information and assess the knowledge gained”.
The Principal Sir Paul Phillips said “the event was a unique approach designed to change behaviours and attitudes and to make ‘cyber security everyone’s business’. The bespoke training has provided confidence and clarity, and is one of a number of measures that the College has put in place to reduce our organisational risk, which includes enhanced system protection, clear processes and visible campaigns regarding key messages. All of this is helping to ensure that there is a ‘collective culture of cyber security responsibility’ to protect students, staff and their families from the threats we face online and within the workplace.”
The CPD programme has been a fantastic success and already the College has received a number of enquiries from businesses in the region who are looking for a more effective and engaging course, with the College soon to deliver training for the NHS in a similar bespoke way. Employers who are interested can email employers@weston.ac.uk for more information. For those who are interested in digital studies, the College also has its own University Centre University Centre Weston as well as being the lead for the West of England Institute of Technology and offers significant digital provision in cyber security, data analytics, computing, web design, software development and digital and technology solutions, across many different levels including apprenticeships and degrees. See more by clicking the links below.
- Computing and Digital Technologies courses for school leavers
- Part-time Digital and High Tech courses for adults
- Degree Level courses and apprenticeships with UCW
From September 2022, Weston College are welcoming school leavers to study the brand-new Business T Level programme. T Levels offer a mixture of both college and work-based learning which has been designed to give learners the technical skills and workplace experience to kick-start their career. The new programmes are developed in collaboration with employers and providers so that the content meets the needs of the industry.
The two year Business T Level course is the equivalent to three A Levels, and will provide students with an understanding of a broad range of issues relevant to the sector, including; an overview of organisational cultures and values, stakeholders, governance and the impact of organisations on society and the environment; project and change management; business behaviours including communication; quality improvement and compliance in all aspects of public and private sector organisations.
Those joining the college in September will get to experience the brand-new facilities including an industry standard business boardroom with the latest technology and a brand-new workspace.
Employers across the country are recognising how important T Levels are going to be, especially in their plans for developing their future work force. NatWest Bank has pledged their support of the new Business T Level course at Weston College by shaping the curriculum, providing business skills training to students, and highlighting the benefits of employers hosting industry work placements through their regional employer network.
NatWest’s support of the Weston College T Level course is aligned to their mission to be a purpose-led bank and champion the potential of people, families, and businesses across the UK, focusing on the areas which can have the biggest positive impacts across society.
Elly Rowley, NatWest Regional Ecosystem Manager for the South-West said; “Through partnerships and resources, we are committed to supporting the business success stories of the future and are pleased to be working with Weston College on the introduction of their new Business T Level course.”
“We look forward to meeting and inspiring these future business leaders and being part of the curriculum through this exciting T Level partnership, which Weston College have been working closely with employers and industry on."
Dave Crew, Head of Business Growth & Employer Partnerships at Weston College said; “T Levels are the future of college-based technical education, and we’re committed to developing our curriculum with employers to create a work-ready pipeline of talent for our region. NatWest are a key partner for the College, and we’re delighted to be working together to create a challenging and engaging programme of skills training for our Business T Level course, as we create the business leaders of the future.”
The Faculty of Inclusive Practice and the Careers Team at Weston College have created a “Jobs Club” for learners with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
This innovative venture supports learners, helping them to get ‘Into Work’ with practical preparation for job placements and future career path planning. The aim of this club was to also build the learners confidence; using a range of resources to help them recognise their skills, personalities, and interests, and how to highlight these to potential employers and relate them to jobs they would be suited for.
The group of 12 students benefitted from 7 sessions which included uplifting group discussions about self-evaluation and how to apply their skills and personality traits to the working world. Interactive quizzes proved to be an amazingly effective way to engage the learners and give them an insight into what different jobs entail and what employers are looking for.
On completion of the career boosting club, each learner received a certificate, which was presented by College Careers Advisor Sally Bebb and Weston College Group Principal and Chief Executive Sir Paul Phillips KBE, to celebrate the skills developed over the sessions.
Sir Paul Phillips added: “Here at Weston College, we continue to champion the phrase ‘Careers, not courses’. Whatever their level, age, background or circumstance, all learners who study with us here progress with the tools to succeed in the workplace. I’m extremely proud of our Inclusive Practice department and initiatives such as this further support why we are recognised nationally as a SEND Centre of Excellence.”
There was a wide range of skills that were improved over the sessions, the main skill being the ability for the learners to describe their attributes and how they used them effectively in given examples. This helped the members of the club to build their confidence when talking about themselves and what qualities they could bring to the workplace.
The building of these skills was very beneficial, as the learners from Jobs Club are progressing onto many future paths: 3 learners have secured Apprenticeships with their employers, 3 learners will be completing traineeships with the police, and five learners have stepped into the workplace, in sustainable paid employment, within the sectors of warehouse, retail, horticulture and lunch time supervisors.
Sally Bebb, from the careers team, said: “We would definitely love to run the Jobs Club again as it was so beneficial to the learners, and has been a hugely enjoyable experience with a great cohort. We all loved seeing how each of the learners have built their confidence when discussing their future career prospects.”
Congratulations to all of the learners on their fantastic achievements!
It’s only a few days left to go until Weston College Business Awards and the excitement is really ramping up now.
In this article we will be discussing the nominees for Industry Placement Employer of the Year. These employers have been working closely with learners across the Weston College provision, to provide them with valuable skills through industry placements.
The nominees for the awards are: Sense IT, Karuta Sportswear and The Links.
Good luck to all our nominees. Keep a look out on our social media pages for updates. #BusinessAwards
Sense IT
Sense IT are a fantastic local business, who offer multiple positions to our computing learners each year, whether that be for Digital T Level learners, or our BTEC Level 3 students.
Learners that go on placement at Sense IT are always fully supported, and their progression is consistently impressive, as they fully utilise their mentorship.
The company has evolved over time, and this has meant that learners have been offered paid employment – as the owner has always managed to get the best out of our learners and utilise their talents to assist his business growth.
Karuta Sportswear
Karuta sportswear has supported our Level 3 Graphic Design learners, and they are a shining example of how beneficial the professional experience of an Industry Placement is to our learners at Weston College.
Learners have been fully immersed in the working world of designing graphics for the application on clothing, from start to finish. With emphasis on research the client's needs when they order their bespoke design, to executing the designs on their sportswear with consideration of quality, which is inspected and approved by colleagues.
The Links
The Links have supported our Health and Social Care students with work experience and industry placements over the past few years.
The Links are always extremely supportive when it comes to hosting our health and social care learners and are keen to support and host students through Levels 1 ,2 and 3 for work experience and industry placements through to supporting the new T Level Health industry placements.
The Links provide multiple placements and are one of our most utilised settings, nothing is too much trouble, and their ethos is putting our learners first with their caring attitude and experience.
At Weston College, we are passionate about utilising technology, to not only assist a learner’s experience, but to enhance it.
I am fortunate to oversee the Digital Learning Team, and we develop a wide range of bespoke learning content for faculties across the college. We are always looking at ways in which we can innovate and harness the latest technology, and this year we have been creating 360 immersive content to deepen learning through memorable experiences.
We began introducing this content in the Healthcare department, and felt that Construction would also benefit hugely from this, particularly in the training of HGV and LGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle and Light Goods Vehicle) driving. With the widespread shortage of drivers over the last few months, training drivers efficiently and effectively is of huge priority to us.
Weston College is one of the establishments taking part in the Driver Bootcamp scheme, which is helping to train over 600 drivers in the next two years; the immersive training will complement existing training methods through Weston College’s digital platforms.
Immersive driver training complements live driving instruction by putting the learner in the position of a passenger in an HGV or LGV. The learner is exposed to a 360 environment through a VR headset, supported with commentary from the driving instructor who explains the process of driving the vehicle, along with graphic overlays that help the learner to visualise the correct route and technique to opt for.
From the training we’ve done so far, and the feedback we’ve received, immersive training seems to be a huge hit! The learners have benefitted from the ability to pause, rewind, and re-watch sessions with complete autonomy, creating a more personalised experience and deeper understanding for the content. These possibilities are much less likely to be available when driving in real time, and will provide more effective training if the learner is able to regularly revisit the areas they struggle with, creating not only more drivers, but drivers of a higher quality too.
The trainers have also responded well, as they had previously been using Google Street View to highlight problem areas; the learner being fully immersed in the simulation is a huge upgrade, and has the potential to train more efficiently and to a higher quality.
We hope to bring immersive training to more areas in the college in the future, with current plans to expand to Public Services learners, as it allows the learner to be put in situations, potentially hazardous ones, that traditional classrooms wouldn’t provide. By exposing the learner to these contexts in a simulation first, it allows them to feel comfortable and confident when faced with them in assessments and in the real world.
Louise Pratten, Digital Education Manager
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.
