To celebrate Hospitality Apprenticeships Week, we caught up with Dan Flannagan from the Liberation Group (one of our brand new Hospitality Career Excellence Hub endorsers), to get his thoughts on the sector, and how Weston College is supporting them.

Who are the Liberation Group (Butcombe)?

Butcombe are an award-winning range of pubs, bars and hotels with our own brewery that creates a fantastic range of stunning ales, lagers and IPA’s.  Our pubs are food led, having won the prestigious Best Food Offering Award at the National Publican Awards 2 years running.  We have an emphasis on local produce and everything we make is made from scratch, with no corners cut!

What challenges have you been facing over the last 18 months?

Like any Hospitality business, we have had a tough time with the closures of our pubs.  Everything we do is geared towards providing a great customer experience and we have really missed seeing our customers happy.  We have had some challenges around recruitment but are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel and believe that relationships with organisations such as Weston College will provide us with access to the next wave of talent in the industry.

Have you faced a skills shortage?

Our Back of House teams (kitchens) have faced the largest challenge in terms of recruitment.

How have you managed to combat these challenges?

We have created and rolled out a range of innovative solutions to help us address the recruitment challenge and believe that our best solution will always be to work with local colleges, charities and organisations that can help us identify, recruit and train the future stars of the business.

Why did you choose to work with Weston College?

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 we firmly believe that our future partnership will provide a huge benefit to both parties.

If you were starting in the sector now, what advice would they give to that young person?

I started myself in the hospitality when I was 16 years old in a hotel in Bristol and would say to anyone looking for a career in the industry, enjoy it!  Try and absorb everything you learn from your college, work placements and if you work in the industry, listen and learn from Head Chefs, General Managers etc.  It is easy in this industry to learn as people genuinely want to share their knowledge and help you develop.

If you'd like to enter the hospitality industry, you can study a course with us. Click on the link relevant link, below.

• 16-19 courses
• Apprenticeships
• Adult courses
• Find out about Career Excellence Hubs

As a Chef Apprentice you have access to an exciting masterclass programme, giving you the essential chef skills. Masterclasses are delivered monthly by industry professionals including producers and artisans including expert guest bakers, butchers and fishmongers.

Today's Chef apprentice masterclass is led by Christopher Hayes from the Stable, who are one of our Career Excellence Hub endorsers, and will guide the apprentices through cooking pan-fried steak in garlic and tyme with a béarnaise sauce, triple cooked chips and tenderstem broccoli in a chilli and roasted garlic butter.

Chris has been a chef and worked in hospitality for twenty years. He told us:

"I didn’t grow up wanting to be a chef, I knew how to cook a little as I grew up in a big family and we sat down together for dinner every night and all chipped in. I grew up wanting to be an artist and to do something creative. After leaving school I was offered a few apprenticeships but decided to take a year out and live in and work at a country hotel. They wanted to put me through my GNVQ, which I accepted, because I’d become attracted to lifestyle.

“After qualifying, I got a paid position as a Commis Chef in a renowned hotel, this is where my passion was lit, this is where I looked at chefs with respect and realised the talent and determination you need to be successful.

“It truly blew my mind, when on my first day a chef asked me to “knock some pasta up” which I thought was a first day prank - you buy pasta it’s dry, why do you need a machine to shape it? From that day I’ve never looked back. Every day there was something new to learn, thirty chefs all cool and calm doing things with food that I couldn’t even comprehend as possible!

“My creative itch was being scratched, I was earning some money and my eyes had been opened by some amazing people at what is possible and achievable in this industry.

“From those years of hard work, dedication and commitment, doors began to open and I have been fortunate enough to cook at so many places for so many different people.

“I got to find my own style and develop my own ideas on what hospitality and food should be. I’ve changed my own mind on who chefs really are and what is possible.

“I’ve developed interpersonal skills, ethics, manners and friendships all working in a kitchen. I’ve shared my knowledge and skills with others, worked as a team, put others before myself, accepted other personalities, received the best training. I’m still learning today and still excited by what is possible.”

Find out more about being a Chef Apprentice:

• Courses and Apprenticeships for school leavers
• Next open event
• Hospitality apprenticeships week #MoreThanAJob

Following on from the success of last year’s ‘Love Our Colleges’ campaign, Weston College is dedicating 18 – 22 October to Colleges Week 2021 and highlighting the amazing work colleges do and why long-term investment is crucial if the government is to ‘level up’ all areas of the country.

As part of Colleges Week, Weston College is celebrating its WorldSkills students and their development journey as they prepare to compete on a national level, also service sector students will be in the Sovereign Centre on Monday 18th with Hospitality and Catering students making cakes and pastries, Fashion, Theatre, Media Hair and Make-up students will be creating themed demos and Early Years and Education students will be providing activities and packs to take away for children aged under 5. Plus, the College will be celebrating some of our adult learner journeys who have used education and training to find a job or get a promotion or change their careers completely!

Events are taking place all week and Thursday will see students and staff calling for dedicated support for colleges to take action on climate change. With the government’s comprehensive spending review taking place imminently, Colleges Week is also a reminder to the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak that funding colleges, training and skills is the catalyst for a stronger, fairer and more resilient society. We are calling on John Penrose MP to ensure we remain a priority in the comprehensive spending review.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE Principal and Chief Executive at Weston College said: “Providing world class education is what we aim to do here at Weston College. With fantastic industry opportunities, taught by industry professionals, we're all about forging careers and not just courses. Colleges Week not only highlights the need for proper investment to make this happen but also showcases the amazing place Weston College is for students and staff.

“This year’s week of action comes at a crucial time. The big contribution further education will make to the country’s economic rebuild must be recognised and long-term investment is vital if we are to combat long-term challenges like climate change and training workers for the jobs of the future.”

David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “Colleges Week showcases exactly why further education holds the answers to some of the biggest issues facing all of us. Now more than ever we need highly skilled and well-educated workforces to deliver the economic recovery this government aspires to.

“Colleges Week this year is about celebrating the amazing work colleges do, educating 2.2 million people every year, including more than 600,000 16 to 18-year-olds. They hold the key to reducing skills gaps, combatting inequality, and providing better opportunities to disadvantaged communities. This week is about making our voices heard and campaigning with partners to make sure colleges continue to be a serious political, economic and social priority.”

Our first Open Evening of the academic year is just around the corner! If you've not yet registered to attend, please click here to book your place for the evening of Wednesday 13th October - Visitors must book in order to attend.

To keep everyone as safe as possible we’d like to remind you that, in order to enter, visitors must provide evidence of a negative lateral flow test or COVID passport on arrival.

If ahead of the event you or a member of your household experience any COVID-19 symptoms or have a positive COVID-19 test you must not attend the event.

What will happen on arrival?

• Please arrive promptly for your time slot at the campus you have booked for.
• Show Eventbrite ticket or confirmation email to the registration team.
• Be prepared to show your negative lateral flow test or COVID-19 Passport.
• Be prepared to be asked if you, or any member of your household, are suffering symptoms associated with COVID-19.
• Confirm you haven’t been contacted by NHS Test and Trace and should currently be self-isolating.
• Once you are signed in you will be paired with a chaperone who will take you to visit the subject area(s) you are interested in.

Face coverings

Whilst face coverings are not required for visitors you are very welcome to wear them.

Toilets and Hygiene

Toilets and handwashing/sanitising facilities will be available onsite.

Thank-you for your co-operation, we hope you enjoy the evening!

Weston College and University Centre Weston alumni Jack Kimmins is proving his amazing talents in computing as he is selected for the finals of the WorldSkills national competition. 

WorldSkills UK is an independent charity that works with employers, education and governments, supporting young people across the world via competitions-based training, testing their ability to achieve world-class standards in the biennial ‘skills olympics’. 

Over 3,000 people registered to take part in the UK-wide competitions in March  2021 and Jack is one of 400 who made it into the finals, which is split into 64 disciplines.

Jack is competing in the Web Design category which is to take place in Weston-super-Mare, hosted by Weston College.

Talking about the selection process, Jack commented: "To get into the finals, I first had to make it into the semi-finals, which involved creating a suitable website design that met a predefined client's brief. Then, to qualify for the national finals, I had to build a website using HTML and CSS that met specific requirements and that was based upon a website wireframe design."

The College will host the prestigious WorldSkills UK National Web Design Competition from Wednesday 17^th November – Friday 19^th November, with the winners being crowned at a ceremony hosted by TV presenter Steph McGovern from her Packed Lunch studio on Friday 26 November. 

This exciting announcement is just one of the fantastic career enhancing opportunities available at the college, through the newly launched Career Excellence Hubs. 

At the College each subject area forms its own specific Career Excellence Hub, endorsed by relevant sector employers which help to create a study programme with lots of career boosting benefits, WorldSkills competing opportunities is one of these.

Jack continued: "The support that I have been provided throughout my journey with WorldSkills has been excellent. I have attended every meeting and practice session available to me, which has enabled me to focus on the distinct details of the competition.

"I'm very proud that I have made it this far in the competition and to represent my university in the national finals.

"This opportunity has enabled me to expand my knowledge and practical abilities with web development. It is also given me more self-trust in my abilities, as it being a competition, the nature of it requires you to have a degree of confidence in your skills to be successful in it."

We wish Jack the very best of luck with the finals and continuing to succeed with his Masters degree. A very bright future ahead!

Click here to read more about our Computing and IT department, including the Career Excellence Hubs

Click here to read more about our other WorldSkills Finalists

A team of Weston College students on the autism spectrum has renovated Worle Juniors Football Club as part of an annual community project.

The students planned, prepared and carried out the renovation work after raising £600 to put towards the project through bag packing and holding a summer fete.

The money was put towards repainting the Club’s hut and dugout, as well as re-fencing, clearing overgrown parts of the grounds, and re-laying the Club’s paving slabs.

Danielle Day, Manager at Weston College’s autism residential training centre, said: “Our community project this year is the largest our students have ever completed.

“Throughout the project they have developed skills such as teamwork, leadership, and problem solving – and as a result of their hard work they have created a facility that we can all be proud of.

The students were thanked by Worle Juniors Chairwoman, Amanda Donald, who resented the students with commemorative trophies and said: “The result is absolutely amazing and it was so touching to see that other people are as passionate about the football grounds as us.

“Over 140 young people use this club, so this work will have a big impact on under 16s in Worle.

“The College students have put in so much hard work and we’re so proud of the results. We can’t wait for the next season to start!”

Aspirations is a course delivered at Weston Bay, which is Weston College’s autism residential training centre. It supports the College’s students on the autism spectrum to develop independent living skills and improves their chances of completing their studies, going to university and entering into employment.

Kirsty Garrett, an apprentice at Westhaven School, won the title of Teaching Assistant Apprentice of the Year at the Weston College Business Awards 2016.

Now in the sixth year, the awards recognise the exceptional achievements of employers and apprentices across a range of industries.

Kirsty was chosen as the teaching assistant category winner by a panel of judges and was presented with her award on stage by keynote speaker, Sally Gunnell.

The judges chose Kirsty as the winner as she has worked consistently hard throughout her apprenticeship. She is highly motivated and has been proactive in her own organisation and development, taking steps to plan ahead when she has found aspects of the learning challenging. 

Kirsty has developed in her role and is supporting a range of pupils with a variety of special needs. Kirsty has been instrumental in setting up and delivering an extra-curricular dance club at the school.

Her employer said: “Kirsty continually works to a very high standard in all aspects of the job. She supports a range of pupils with a variety of special needs and has a caring and professional approach with pupils, parents and staff.”

For more information on the Weston College Business Awards visit: www.weston.ac.uk/businessawards.

Joe Martin, an Apprentice Sheet Metal Fabricator at GKN Aerospace, won the title of Engineering Apprentice of the Year at the Weston College Business Awards 2016.

Now in the sixth year, the awards recognise the exceptional achievements of employers and apprentices across a range of industries.

Joe was chosen as the engineering category winner by a panel of judges and was presented with his award on stage by keynote speaker, Sally Gunnell.

Joe is a natural leader within the group and has been invited to work on a go-kart which the second year apprentices are constructing. Joe has had to use his skills to manufacture parts of the titanium structure (which include the seat structure, brake mounts as well as other key components) while ensuring that they fit correctly.

Joe said: “While I was at school I was encouraged to stay on and complete the sixth form and then see if I could gain a place at university. All this I achieved but after a while I decided that this was not the path I wanted for my career. 

“I looked at apprenticeships but then I thought I may be too old. A friend told me that GKN Aerospace were taking on apprentices and upon applying it made me realise that I wanted to take a hands-on approach into gaining a career and an apprenticeship seemed to be the best way to do this.

“I really enjoy being an apprentice. I attend Weston College four days a week and work the other day at GKN, learning new skills which will help me in my career; all this and I get paid.

“My future plans are to complete my Level 2 apprenticeship, then my Level 3, establish myself as a skilled fabricator, then become a team leader and finally part of the management team.”

His employer said: “Joe has applied himself fully to all aspects of work at GKN and has performed to a high standard throughout the first year of his apprenticeship. He is one of our highest performers and has become the natural leader amongst our first years. All our other first years gravitate towards Joe for answers to engineering problems.”

GKN Aerospace also won two business awards at the ceremony: Large Business Employer of the Year and the overall Employer of the Year 2016 title.

For more information on the Weston College Business Awards visit: www.weston.ac.uk/businessawards.