Hello from the Welfare Team!

Whether you're a returning student or starting in September, we hope that you are enjoying your Summer Break.

We wanted to take this opportunity to remind you about the Welfare support available to you at college. We offer confidential, non-judgemental help and advice on a range of concerns & worries such as:

• Emotional Health (including Anxiety)
• Relationships
• Substances & Alcohol
• Homelessness
• Course Worries
• Sexual Health

We can also signpost you to other college services such as:

• Counselling Team
• Careers Advice Team
• Mental Health Specialist Practitioners

If you are struggling or just in need of someone to talk to, please contact us using the details below and we will support you.

Email: welfare@weston.ac.uk
Phone: 01934 411 411 (ask for the welfare team)

Once you have started the course, the Welfare Officer linked to your study programme will post in your page on Microsoft Teams to introduce themselves & explain where to find them, on your campus.

For further information on our service, click here to visit our Sharepoint page (accessible to those who have enrolled)

Weston College and the West of England Institute of Technology (WEIoT), have announced that they will be hosting a ‘Future Tech Weston’ event in partnership with North Somerset Council, at the Winter Gardens and on the Italian Gardens from the 16th – 18th July. There will be a Press day on 15th July for those interested in using the POD for transport solutions.

The 3-day event which is free to attend, aims to showcase potential future technology and demonstrate to businesses and residents what the future holds in terms of potential jobs.

Greener methods of transport will help to reduce carbon emissions and increase environmental sustainability. Promoting future innovations for eco-friendly travel, falls directly within the College's ethos and commitment to creating brighter and greener futures. 

Working with AECOM and Westfield Capri project (a collaborative research and development project awarded by The Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles), the public will have the chance to experience a ride in the autonomous Westfield POD, which will provide a demonstration of how it works and a short trip around the pre-defined route in the Italian Gardens by the Sovereign Centre . The POD is a 4-6-seater, electric powered vehicle which can be manually driven, via externally connected joystick, or automatically along a predefined route.

This experience is free and bookable via this link - attendees will also get the opportunity to view the Electric Chesil E, and a Westfield Drone.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College Group, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity, and one which I am sure will capture the attention of people across the region.

“We believe that it is vitally important to be promoting aspects such as future green technology and showcase the exciting career opportunities there are for our communities.

“I would also like to mention how proud I am of our Computing learners, who have worked closely with Westfield on the coding and the development of Westfield’s autonomous vehicles – something I can’t wait to try out!”

You can find out more about this event, and book into one of the sessions to experience the POD, here.

The West of England Institute of Technology (WEIoT) is proud to be part of the National Launch of the IOTs celebrating a new era of study for the region.

With science and technology playing a significant role in the future success of the UK and its economy, the high-quality learning space and facilities at the WEIoT will bring benefits to students, employers and wider community – helping meet futures skills needs.

The WEIoT is a consortium of education providers and key employers across the West of England. It has been led by Weston College and includes the University of the West of England, Bath College, Gloucestershire College, and Yeovil College as well as a network of key local employers, including; GKN Aerospace, Airbus, GE Aviation, Renishaw, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Trust, , St Monica Trust, Jisc, io Academy, National Composites Centre (NCC), North Somerset Council, Leonardo, Rolls Royce and Bamboo Technology.

Collaborations between employers and industries have shaped the high-level skills courses available. From apprenticeships to degree level course the WEIoT is armed to develop skills and drive ambition for students, who are preparing for their first step into a career, already in employment or those wishing to retrain.

Courses are at the forefront of science, technology, creativity and innovation – creating the innovators and visionaries of the future.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College the WEIoT lead added:

“Part of the work of the WEIoT is to support the increase in the number of women engaging with Higher Technical Education, increasing the numbers recruited to Apprenticeship opportunities and to follow Higher Education routes, in a more local setting. As part of our licence to operate we have committed to 2000 learners by 2025 with a 50% female participation.

Claire Arbery, WEIoT Director said:

“There are opportunities for adults to upskill and reskill using both Apprenticeship and Higher Education funding, and we are committed to increasing the numbers of students from areas that do not traditionally access this level of skills and training. Our commitment is a minimum 40% of learners upskilling to these roles. So, this is a really exciting time and I encourage businesses and individuals to reach out to discover how the WEIoT can help them.”

On the 8th July remember to follow #InstitutesOfTechnology

#IoTCelebration and #WEIoT to discover all the great new initiatives and facilities that the IOTs are delivering to bring about a new era of study for the nation. Or visit our website www.weiot.ac.uk.

Students, staff and visitors attending the Weston College and University Centre Weston (UCW) Creative Arts Summer Show experienced the surprise of their lives when a special VIP guest, festival legend Michael Eavis arrived on the Friday evening to open the musical performances section of the event.

Owner of the famous Worthy Farm, Michael Eavis created the world-renown Glastonbury Festival in 1970, which is now attended by 200,000 people from all around of the world each year. As well as underground artists of every genre, the festival is well known for its high-profile headliners over the years which have included the likes of Oasis, Coldplay and Beyonce, to name a few.

Despite Glastonbury not running for a second year in a row, Michael was in high spirits as he visited the College’s Loxton Campus in Weston-super-Mare to open the unique socially distanced musical performances on the Friday evening.

The Creative Arts Summer Show is the College’s annual festival which celebrates creative talents by showcasing the learner’s exceptional work. Music and Performing Arts learners took to the stage with live music and theatre performances in a festival tent as well as an indoor exhibition which hosted the impressive artwork and final projects from learners of all levels. This featured work from those studying extended diplomas and degree courses in Art and Design, Media Production, Graphic Design, Game and Animation, Fashion and Photography.

Upon arrival, Michael was given a tour of the incredible exhibition, taking in all of the phenomenal art that the artists of Weston College and UCW - had worked so hard to produce this year. Michael was then treated to a joint performance from music students Charlie Kelly and Daisy Dennett who significantly impressed the famous festival organiser with their perfect harmonies. The crowd applauded in raptures as Michael Eavis then took to the stage in the festival tent, donned “Westonbury”, in his honour to open the evening of music in front of a socially distanced crowd of proud parents and visitors who came along to witness the event.

Michael commented: “I think it’s been absolutely amazing, the artwork has been absolutely amazing, it’s quite exceptional. The students are really talented. “Sometimes when you walk into a place, there’s a really good feel about it, and this place feels really good.”

Students and staff alike were inspired to see someone of such experience within the creative arts industry watching their performances and praising their talents and hard work that they had put into the show. For those progressing on to higher education or into careers this year, this was an extremely heart-warming way to finish their time at Weston College or University Centre Weston.

Chair of the Corporation for the Weston College Group, Andrew Leighton-Price, attended the Show alongside Michael Eavis. He said: “The Summer Show was absolutely amazing. There were so many innovative works of art, with so many mediums used, from paint and sculpting to digital, film and gaming. “It’s clear that there is a huge wealth of talent and passion that goes into creative subjects and the benefit that has on the community should never be underestimated.

The College’s Principal Dr Paul Phillips CBE added: “We really are a Career Centre for Excellence now for students in creative arts e.g. media/film, art and design; musical theatre/performance/dance & production; graphics, photography and games animation – even to degree level and I’d like to congratulate everyone that contributed to this impressive showcase. More importantly, I would like to pass on a huge thank you to Michael Eavis and his team for taking the time to visit Loxton Campus and help to open the show and inspire our learners – who were absolutely thrilled to see the legend that is Michael Eavis appear before their very eyes.”

To learn more about all the creative courses on offer at the college and university, click subject areas below

As part of the investment from the Department for Education, Weston College has opened a £650k brand-new facility, dedicated to welding, at their South West Skills Campus. The funding has been made available through the College being the lead partner on the West of England Institute of Technology (WEIoT).

The development of the new welding facility has been in response to the growing demand from employers both locally and regionally for apprentices to train in welding and fabrication; as well as local adults wanting to upskill in an area that has seen an increased demand in the local region.

As part of its commitment to sustainability and cost reduction, the centre also includes a ‘virtual welder’ simulation which allows students to learn basic techniques without wasting gases or metals as part of the initial training, reducing costs and waste.

There are a real range of courses and apprenticeships available in the new building, from introductory short courses for adults, from Level 1, 2 and 3 courses for people entering the industry and expanding their knowledge and skills.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College Group, said: “This new centre shows our commitment to local employers, by creating a training facility that meets the demand of industry.

“It is a really exciting facility, as we will offering training not only for the traditional 16-19 year old courses, but also an offer for adults through evening courses and also from September on a Saturday, to support the retraining and upskilling of the local community.

“We also work with engineering and aerospace companies across the region, to provide them with apprentices, and this new facility offers apprentices the opportunity to complete welding training across each of the key welding processes of MIG, TIG and MMA welding.”

If you’re aged 16-19, you can find Weston College’s engineering courses, here.

If you’re an adult and want to upskill or retrain, you can find the Welding Skills Introduction course, here.

Weston College is launching its Career Excellence Hubs as a unique mechanism to align its curriculum to the ethos of the White Paper Skills for jobs: lifelong learning for opportunity and growth.

Following months of strategic work on the ground, an innovative ten-point Career Excellence Hub Charter (click here to view the Charter) ensuring that each faculty is committed to aligning its curriculum to the needs of employers, (there are fourteen collective sector hubs all signed up to the Charter), it also offers the very best support in well-being, inclusive practice/SEND and digital with an ambitious vison linking to WorldSkills UK - to raise aspirations of learners regardless of their starting point in life.

Weston College Principal and Chief Executive Dr Paul Phillips CBE commented:

“We are really proud of our Careers Excellence Hub model which is designed to elevate our already established ethos of ‘real world learning’. The work represents a holistic approach, that has been very much done in consultation with employers.

“I am determined to raise career aspirations post pandemic for all our learners, and the challenge for all Colleges in relation to the White Paper, is to ensure consistency of approach across all their provision and at all levels. We feel that our Careers Excellence Hub Charter will not only cement our vision with employers, it will also cement our inclusive values for our learners - making aspirational careers a reality for all our learners regardless of their starting point in life.”

The Charter represents a ten-point plan that is designed to bring all Weston College staff together on an ambitious journey for global teaching excellence.

It has been designed to connect all of the College’s values, including those as one of three National Centres for Excellence in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), plus impressive progress to create an education based mental health support model. The Charter also embeds the College’s digital innovation as a Microsoft Showcase College and links to their aspirational work as the West of England Institute of Technology (IoT) lead, in bridging the higher skills technical skills gaps to the region. The ethos of the Charter will also transcend across the College’s work as a lead prison educator.

Dr Phillips commented further:

“We believe our Careers Excellence Hub model offers significant progress against the White Paper and offers a chance to seamlessly link with the AoC Career Hub resources developed in partnership with the Careers & Enterprise Company - providing a strong College/Community ‘anchor’ model that all Colleges can aspire to in terms of linking into localised Career Hubs and driving careers best practice across the UK.”

Andrew Webster Education Sector Manager at the Careers & Enterprise Company added:

“It has been inspiring to work with the team at Weston College – they are at the forefront of innovation in career education, advice and guidance. The development of their Careers Excellence Hubs is just one shining example of how they are supporting their students to take their best next step out of education and into the wider world.

“The team at Weston College don’t just work on one off projects about careers and the world of work, they work strategically, embedding information and examples about careers into so much of what they do. All of this means their young people are as well prepared as possible to take on the future.”

To view the launch video click here.

Weston College has been accredited to the matrix Standard, demonstrating the high-quality Information, Advice and Guidance they provide to over 10,000 people, annually.

The matrix Standard is the international quality standard for organisations that deliver information, advice and/or guidance (IAG), either as their sole purpose or as part of their service offering.

Roger Chapman, Head of the matrix Service for The Growth Company said:

“This is a fantastic achievement for Weston College and I would like to congratulate the team on their success. We believe that at the heart of high-quality advice and support services are strong leadership, excellent service and a focus on continuous improvement, all underpinned by effective use of the resources available. The matrix Standard is designed to benchmark organisations against best practice in these areas. With their accreditation success, Weston College is working to provide the best possible support to their clients.”

Commenting on the award, Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “We are very proud of our support services, and the fantastic work that goes on every day to care for our community. This accreditation is well deserved for the team, who go above and beyond to help create brighter futures for everyone that they support.”

For more information about the matrix Standard please visit: www.matrixstandard.com.

Weston College are pleased to launch a new range of part-time adult courses to help the local community get back into education, work, to retrain, upskill or take up a new hobby to help with their wellbeing.

For those who have found themselves unemployed all our Level 1 and Level 2 courses starting in September are fully funded, meaning they will come at no cost to the learner.

We are also pleased to launch our new range of Upskill Weston courses, which are career focussed courses delivered on a Saturday. With courses in Counselling, English, Maths, Engineering, Welding, Electrical, Machining, Motor Vehicle, Plastering, Plumbing, Carpentry and more! These courses are designed to help people retrain to find jobs in more buoyant industries. We’re hosting them on Saturdays to enable access to adults who struggle to study on a weekday due to prior commitments; all classes are based at South West Skills Campus and designed for adults to reconnect with learning, and benefit from a vibrant College campus experience with the potential of new friendships and access to welfare and learning support onsite to help you to achieve your qualifications.

Advancing your skills in your current industry has never been more important, with Level 3 (and above) courses in Accounting, Hair and Beauty, Human Resources, Leadership and Management, CILEx, Education and Personal Training, to name but a few.

For those who would like the opportunity to start university next September, the Access to HE courses will give you the qualifications needed to study Healthcare, Animal Science, Business, Social Care, Medical Science, Nursing/Midwifery, Criminology, Science, Social Science or Art/Design at university.

And, of course, there are plenty of hobby courses to choose from with Floristry, numerous Arts and Crafts, Cookery, IT skills …the list goes on.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College said, “As a result of the pandemic, we have been increasing our support for residents in North Somerset and across the West of England. I am delighted that we can offer such a breadth of courses and training to help people in our community in these uncertain times. 

"Our FREE adult careers coaching, and course advice sessions have been really popular over the last 12 months and as a result we will be extending these. If you or someone you know is looking for advice and support, we are ready to help.”

Visit weston.ac.uk/adults for more information.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE has been crowned the Principal of the Year 2021 at the sixth National Centre for Diversity (NCFE) Annual FREDIE Awards. These awards are to champion and celebrate individuals and organisations who are going above and beyond in their commitment to fairness, respect, equality, diversity, inclusion, and engagement (FREDIE).

This special award was presented to Dr Phillips last night (20th May), where he was commended for his inclusive leadership, which has seen Weston College completely transform its ethos, creating a culture change from being an FE provider with pockets of inclusion, to a fully inclusive organisation delivering FE. The organisational wide change has been driven by Dr Phillips, with his high ambitions for SEND/disadvantaged learners. He was congratulated for the highly visible and celebrated culture of inclusion using a ‘person centred’ approach.

Andrew Leighton-Price, Weston College’s Chair of Governors commented:

“This recognition is extremely deserved for our Principal and Chief Executive, Dr Phillips; under his leadership Weston College has been transformed into one of the finest FE and HE colleges in the country.

“Dr Phillips pioneering inclusive practice has developed from his work with SEND and has completely eradicated a culture of one-size-fits-all. This approach has driven outcomes above national benchmarks, for all its FE and HE learners, and in the nineteen prisons across the UK where the College is the education lead.”

“During his tenure we have also seen 33% of SEND students into employment, compared to just 6% nationally and seen the College recognised as one of three UK National SEND Centres of Excellence.

“We have become a Disability Confident employer and Investor in People Platinum and created the first FE College based residential autism training centre.

“The aspirational place inclusive practice holds within the College’s strategic plan, was even more evident in lockdown, with Inclusive Practice leaders, co-designing the College’s EdTech strategy achieving Dr Phillips’ vision for digital inclusion with pandemic virtual learner attendance comparable to the previous year - from the hugely successful #MyVirtualCollege roll out.”

Dr Paul Phillips commented:

“I was thrilled to receive this award. Further Education is my passion and it is an absolute privilege to work with such a talented team of staff and governors to transform the lives of so many learners.

“My FREDIE is for Weston College and the inspirational teaching and learning that takes place every day creating brighter futures for all who cross our many doorsteps. It’s our inclusivity, diversity and agility with SEND at the heart of all we do, with that added ‘sparkle’ that sets us apart from the rest.”