The Automotive industry is exciting and dynamic. Cars are everywhere, and they often need servicing, repairs and enhancements!

The Automotive Career Excellence Hub is a way for Weston College learners to enter industry while being supported the whole way through. Learners have the chance to get vital experience in what a mechanic’s workshop is actually like which will prove incredibly useful for their future career.

Learners will benefit from meeting mechanics and being able to get their foot in the door early for future employment in these workshops. Some of the skills learned in these work placements could include body repairs, paint, working on interior & trim, and repairing the electrical systems on a vehicle.

Careers that learners in the Automotive Career Excellence Hub can go into include being a vehicle technician, mechanic or electrician, vehicle body repairer, vehicle paint technician, or a parts salesperson or advisor. These careers are lucrative, with individuals in these roles earning a good living. For example, a vehicle technician earns on average £26,068.

On top of attending the Career Excellence Hub, learners will be able to study at one of our three full-size Automotive workshops at the South West Skills Campus. This area features working vehicle ramps and all of the tools that learners will find in industry. The Automotive team also has several cars which can be worked on by learners to learn crucial skills such as servicing, diagnostics and repair. These vehicles are changed and updated frequently to provide further experience of different models and issues.

For more information on how to apply to Weston College and join our amazing Career Excellence Hub for Automotive, click here. 

Weston College have teamed up with construction heavyweight Willmott Dixon, to support local adults in entering the construction industry, through launched Constructing Lives Together.

The new initiative which is being funded by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) will offer free training to people across the South West.

The two-week training courses which will be delivered on construction sites, allow candidates to gain a CSCS card – which provides proof that individuals have had the relevant training to be on a building site.

The courses will also offer provide candidates with:

• Re-employment skills
• Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) certificates across a range of disciplines
• Health and Safety in a Construction Environment Level 1
• Work experience

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, said: “We’re thrilled to launch this new offer, which will allow adults to enter the construction industry in an easier way than ever before and for free!

“I think that one of the best things about this initiative is that we are supporting adults to retrain and upskill, all whilst providing a stream of talent for employers facing skills shortages within the construction industry.

“We are also pleased to partner with Willmott Dixon on this project, as they are a proactive company that wants to make a difference within the sector – much like us.”

Find out more about Constructing Lives Together, by clicking here. 

There's a big push at Weston College to make sure all of our students gain English and maths at Level 2.

This is because English and maths are important skills that will benefit you in many ways, including your studies, your future employment, and your general wellbeing.

Having a good understanding of English and maths is more important than you might realise and every course that we offer includes English and maths development.

The Digital industry is growing at a quick pace – 6x quicker than any other industry in the UK, with lots of exciting opportunities to work with the latest technology available in the area.

In order to meet the growing demand of industry, we have launched our brand-new Digital Career Excellence Hub, which provides opportunities for our learners to develop the skills needed by local employers – and get a head start on their career!

Students will use ‘real world learning’, with a curriculum that is co-designed by our employer endorsers, focussing on employer briefs and real-life scenarios to encourage up to the minute workplace problem solving. On top of that, as a Microsoft Showcase College, we will upskill learners with the latest digital tools and technologies.

As mentioned, skills is a critical element of our Digital Career Excellence Hub, with learners working on their hard skills such as:

• Vendor Certifications
• Systems Thinking
• E-safety
• Commercial Awareness
• Research

And their soft skills as well, some which include:

• Problem Solving
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Organisation
• Innovation

Digital organisation, Eloquent Technologies is one of our digital endorsers, and their Managing Director, David Ford said: “The biggest constraint to growth is finding exceptional talent. We partner with Weston College to future proof our business, working with young talent, which has proved to be an effective pathway for our business.”

Through this partnership, and the Career Excellence Hub, our digital learners have the opportunity to gain vital work experience with local employers like Eloquent Technologies, which is a real benefit to those studying courses with us at Weston College.

You can find out more about our Career Excellence Hubs, and the benefits that they bring, here.

In order to support Young People in our area with some festive joy this year, the Christmas Sparkle campaign was formed to collect donations of small gifts and toiletries for gift bags for young people (aged 13-25) in need in the festive season. 

Thanks to generous donations across the campuses, the College has been able to provide 10 full gift bags for males and 24 full sets/gift bags for females, which have been delivered to local housing providers who support care leavers and vulnerable young people. The College has also made its final donation to Weston-super-Mare foodbank for the year; providing over 1200 items since the 'Good for me, Good for FE' campaign was launched in September.

Initiatives such as this also aid in reducing the amount of food waste produced over the holidays. Weston College is committed to promoting sustainability, reducing energy and product consumption to create brighter and greener futures.

A huge thanks goes to everyone that has donated and helped to bring some Christmas Sparkle to those in need this year.

It's not too late to donate items to those in need this year. Click here to find out more about supporting our local Food Bank

Our Fashion and Textiles learners have worked all term practicing their skills and considering contemporary print designs that could be used in high street stores. Take a look at some of the amazing designs. 

All of our Creative Arts courses are taught at our Loxton Campus, the home, heart, and hub of creative arts in Weston! Learners are taught by industry professionals, and are encouraged to find their voice, express their personality in a multitude of art forms and blossom beyond their expectations. 

As a student on our Level 3 UAL Extended Diploma in Fashion and Textiles course learners are given the chance to explore fashion and develop their understanding of fashion by experiencing varied disciplines across fashion design, production, digital media, communication, and fashion business. The course offers the exciting opportunity for our learners to embrace textile art, textile design and elements of fashion looking at the design industry from an artist’s perspective. It introduces our learners to the contemporary approach of the industry and encourage them to flourish as potential textile designers. 

The Fashion and Textiles courses are a part of the Creative Arts Career Excellence Hub. These innovative subject specific hubs allow for students at Weston College to have access to exclusive opportunities. Endorsed by employers from within the industry, this enables for better integration with the sector to make sure class content is relative and opens doors for learners, so they leave college with more than just a qualification. 

Click here to:

• Learn more about the Fashion and Textiles A Level course
• Find out more about the Level 3 UAL Fashion and Textiles course
• Discover the Art & Design courses on offer
• Read more about Career Excellence Hubs 

We’re launching a brand-new Bristol traineeship, in partnership with Empire Fighting Chance.

Traineeships help people aged 16-24, to gain the skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications, to progress onto an apprenticeship or gain employment.

Why choose a Traineeship?

• High-quality work placement
• Industry experience
• Flexibility to suit your needs
• No cost to you
• Confidence building
• Gain transferable skills
• Route into employment.

The Traineeship will run for four weeks, with Empire Fighting Chance delivering wellbeing sessions, as well as work placement being on offer on competition of the course.

UPDATE: Our next cohort will start in Bristol, on 7th March

To find out more, or to book onto this Traineeship, contact us:

• Traineeship.enquiries@weston.ac.uk
• 01934 411 594

The Hospitality industry has always been dynamic and exciting to work in, and with restrictions lifting and everyone resuming life as normal, restaurants and hotels are hiring more staff than ever! This industry is worth over £59 billion in the UK alone!

The Hospitality Career Excellence Hub prepares learners for the world of employment and for a life in their chosen industry. Students will take away absolutely loads of skills required to work in Hospitality all of which can be put on a CV to impress future employers.

It focusses on work experience which is a fantastic way to gain knowledge of an industry and how it works while learning skills that can be applied to College at the same time.

Hospitality learners will learn in Weston College’s state-of-the-art training kitchen called The Grove. This kitchen is fully equipped with all of the facilities that will be used in industry. The Grove also features a spacious dining room and a bar, offering students a chance to learn about setting and waiting tables. 

Learners have a monthly masterclass from top chefs from the local area. These classes teach a wide range of skills and disciplines including butchery, sausage making and working with seafood. Chefs who have provided masterclasses in the past include Martin Felstead, from Greenway Farm and Mark Chapman - the Executive Chef from Gambas Tapas Bar, Bristol.

Dan Flannagan from the Liberation Group said “We are proud of our Somerset roots and having grown our business in this area, a relationship with Weston College seemed a natural step. Weston has a superb set up and our partnership will provide a huge benefit for us as a business to develop future talent, but also for learners to gain vital experience and develop the skills needed for industry.”

For more information on how to apply to Weston College and join our awesome Hospitality Career Excellence Hub, click here.

Weston College is the sole FE provider to be handed a contract for the Higher Education Short Course trial, with the remaining 20 places taken by universities.

Twenty-two universities and colleges have been awarded a total of £2 million of funding to develop short courses in higher education. These courses are designed to enable flexible learning and to help students develop skills needed by employers and the economy.

The Office for Students (OfS) worked collaboratively with the Department for Education on the programme, with the OfS launching a challenge competition in August 2021 seeking bids from universities, colleges and other higher education providers who wished to trial the courses. The courses form part of a pathway towards the delivery of the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE), with pilot short courses to run from the 2022-23 academic year. Learning from the programme will help inform future LLE policy development.

The courses will run across the England and will be offered at levels 4 to 6. Subjects covered include STEM, healthcare, digital innovation, education and supporting net zero.

Courses will run in partnership with a range of bodies and organisations. These include chambers of commerce and other business organisations, individual business, local authorities and local NHS organisations. Universities and colleges will work closely with employers to develop the short courses which are valuable to employers while also enabling progression to a full qualification.

Commenting, Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of the OfS, said: “I am pleased to announce the successful bidders for these important courses. The courses cover a range of subjects at universities and colleges from all parts of the country. They will help people – including those who might already have significant work experience – learn new skills and retrain for a career change. This type of flexibility is important and will help employers fill skills gaps which are essential for their businesses and support future economic growth. At the same time students will be able to benefit from higher education for short periods of time, which will enable them to further their careers, as well as giving them the opportunity to go on and gain a full degree.”

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said the courses: “Will boost access to more high-quality and flexible education and training – giving people the chance to learn at a pace that is right for them, while ensuring we have the skilled workforce needed to boost our economy”.

The Weston College courses/modules will be run via the Group’s University Centre Weston provision and will include from Sept 2022:

Level 4

• Working together to safeguard young people
• Healthy development through childhood and beyond
• Disability, inclusion and social justice

Level 5

• Mental health, attachment and trauma course
• Contributing to the support of people on the autism spectrum
• Understanding diversity and the impact of speech and language and literacy difficulties.

If you are interested in these courses/modules, please register your details below and we will be in touch as plans develop.