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.
WHAT is it?
Starting construction at the start of 2018, the Health and Active Living Skills Centre has brought together our health and social care, sports therapy, and active living curricula into one bespoke facility. It includes a fully equipped gym and multi-purpose sports hall. This allows students to observe and learn about the effects of exercise on the body. There are also state-of-the-art science labs, including provision for sport analysis, a health therapy suite, and a six bed fully-equipped simulation ward including high-tech patient mannequins.
The Centre also boasts a separate clinic/therapy room which is used by external health and sports professionals – this enables students to access health and sports professionals on site.
WHERE is it?
The centre is situated next to our Loxton Campus, and close to Weston General Hospital. This offers students the perfect opportunity to work closely with the hospital, and gain valuable knowledge from industry professionals. The ability to get hands-on experience and learn from experts in their field plays a huge role in students’ progression and learning. As James Rimmer, Chief Executive of Weston Area Health Trust, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for partnership working between Weston College and Weston General Hospital. This demonstrates the investment we are both making to support the learning and development of students”.
WHY do we need it?
The NHS and small to medium-sized employers in the healthcare sector have identified increasing skills shortages that could lead to major recruitment issues in the sector if they are not addressed. To help combat this skills shortage and give back to the community, over £13 million has been invested to employ builders and contractors in the local area to build high-quality facilities for our students. The first of its kind in the region, the Health and Active Living Skills Centre enables young people and adults to study courses from Level 1 up to degree-level. This ensures that the region is able to provide the skills and qualifications it needs for a sustainable healthcare workforce.
Click here to see the floorplans for the building.
Dzeneta Antoneviciute, Level 1 Hairdressing and Beauty, and Amelia Searle, Level 2 Hairdressing competed in the AHT competitions at the end of January in Aberdare, Wales.
The AHT competition is open to any 16-19 year old studying hairdressing/barbering or beauty. Dzeneta and Amelia will be joining Zoe and Claire, who have direct entries within their fields at the finals on Sunday 15th March at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity I have been given. I am looking forward to expanding my skills even further. Going to the finals will be an incredible experience in which I hope to excel in”, Amelia.
Each learner will now need to practice their looks for the next stage whilst developing their time management skills. Tutors will be pressure testing them (providing opportunities to practice in front of an audience) to prepare them for the big stage. This will mean that each learner will need to commit additional time for specialist training in addition to their college timetable.
Jenna, FE Curriculum Co-ordinator for Hair and Beauty, said: “I'm so proud of each of our learners who took part in the regional AHT competition, they put in outstanding performances and should be pleased to have gained first place. We pride ourselves with offering all learners the opportunity to take part in competitions. These competitions are a brilliant way to springboard their skills, improving their future employability.
We look forward to hearing how the finals go in March.
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Hi I'm Emma, a Digital Marketing Apprentice at Weston College.
After finishing my A Levels, I didn’t know what to do with my career. I knew university wasn’t the route I wanted, but I was also afraid of being 20 years old and doing an apprenticeship. I saw an apprenticeship as something for school leavers, and I didn’t realise the opportunities it would present me.
I wanted to get my foot in the door with a local employer, and start a job where I could showcase my creativity, and express my passion for social media. An apprenticeship gave me just that, and was the perfect route to kick start my future career in marketing. I quickly learned that the majority of other apprentices at Weston College were the same age as me – in fact, there are several people older than me studying an apprenticeship in order to upskill.
I now laugh at the fact that I got the role of an apprentice so wrong - instead of doing the basic jobs I was expecting, I am treated the same as any other member of the team. I am given so many opportunities to fully understand what digital marketing is and why it is so beneficial to the organisation. The team are incredibly supportive, and I know that I can approach anyone with a question and not only will they help me with the situation, but it will also benefit my qualification.
I have grown in confidence so much since working at Weston College, from something simple like picking up the phone to ask someone a question, to communicating with senior staff and employers during events.
What I love most about my job is that no two days are the same. Whether I am working on adding content to one of the websites, editing a video, or covering an event on social media; my role allows me explore my creativity in the best way imaginable. My proudest moment whilst working at Weston College was creating and managing a digital campaign by myself for the first time – and seeing the impact it had on student recruitment. This is something I didn’t believe I would be able to do when I first started my apprenticeship.
Weston College has a brilliant staff mentoring program which helped me to settle in straight away. As a previous Weston College student I thought I knew most things about the college, but I was definitely wrong. I meet my mentor regularly for coffee, which really helps with my development.
I’ve recently become part of a new initiative called the ‘Inspiring Future Talent’ programme, which welcomes all current internal apprentices working at the college, and allows apprentices from across the organisation to discuss issues or struggles that come with being an apprentice. We are given the opportunity to talk about any topics that we feel will help to support us through our time at Weston College, and it’s a great opportunity to get to know others. Being inspired by the help I received from my mentor, I hope to help other people, especially apprentices into settling into the college in the future.
I am loving my time as an apprentice, and look forward to continuing my development at Weston College.
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Over 40 students were recognised for their outstanding achievements at our annual awards event, Celebration of Success.
Hosted at the Winter Gardens Pavilion, the gala style event saw students of all disciplines receive awards for going above and beyond expectations, breaking the mould and succeeding against all odds.
Every year students are nominated for these prestigious awards by their lecturers, often for accomplishing greatness despite challenging circumstances.
Once nominated, a panel of judges including Principal and Chief Executive Dr Paul Philips CBE then decided on the winners for each award.
As part of the evening, the smartly dressed guests were treated to a delicious 3 course meal, planned, prepared and served by the College’s Hospitality and Catering students.
Guests were also treated to a performance from University Centre Weston’s BA (Hons) Musical Theatre students, who entertained the audience by performing songs from The Secret Garden; a musical which they previously performed at the prestigious Theatre Royal in Windsor towards the end of 2019 (click here to read more).
One-by-one, the winning students were announced and took to the stage with tremendous applause from family and guests. They were presented with their award, certificate and prize by Chair of Governors, Andrew Leighton-Price.
Champion boxer Glenn Catley also presented cheques for Further Education and Adult Student of the Year, to Amy Dyke and Michelle Pellegrino respectively, on behalf of Skylight Properties who sponsored the event.
Principal and Chief Executive Dr Paul Philips CBE commented: “Tonight we celebrated some of the inspiring individual journeys and remarkable personal achievements which have all contributed to the ongoing success story of Weston College.
"It’s difficult to think of an occasion which better encapsulates the determination, dedication and talent of our students than these awards – they bring home the lengths to which our students go to achieve success. The stories we heard of personal courage, success in adversity and outstanding ability are inspirational, and it’s immensely satisfying to see those efforts rewarded.“
This year’s winner of the prestigious Employer of the Year at the Lloyds National Business Awards sponsored by Give a Grad a Go was Weston College, an FE and HE College based in Weston-super Mare, who deliver further and higher education courses plus training for employers. The College is also a lead prison education provider for 19 prisons in the South of England.
The Lloyds Bank National Business Awards is the flagship awards programme that recognises and rewards excellence across all sectors in the UK. Now in its 18th year, the awards are open to any company within the UK, regardless of size or industry.
The award event was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on 12th November and was the culmination of the year-long programme, which was attended by 1,200 business leaders, entrepreneurs, politicians and journalists in true celebration of the best of British entrepreneurship.
Richard Alvin, Event Director of the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards said:
“Our entrants face the most rigorous of judging processes, so it’s no mean feat getting on the shortlist of The Lloyds Bank National Business Awards, never mind actually winning one. However our winners this year have all proved themselves to be world-class British businesses and we hope that these awards continue to succeed in offering them the credibility and encouragement to continue in their ambitious success.”
One of the judges, Cary Curtis, Founder and Managing Director from Give a Grad a Go commented; “This award was a landslide victory; Weston College demonstrated the very best of what an employer should be.
“The College showed an investment in both infrastructure to create state-of-the-art teaching spaces/digital learning environments, enabling staff to feel inspired to make a difference to their learners. Their investment in ethos was also key; offering a staff mentoring programme which encourages collaboration, and developing peer to peer inclusive support. Plus a ‘Body and Mind’ framework, recognising that staff need support to build emotional resilience to meet the increasing demands of the FE environment and 21st century life.”
The judges also highlighted Weston College’s graduate scheme which runs throughout the year offering several intakes as opposed to competitors who offer just one recruit within the year. With high quality guidance and care trainee lecturer’s move across a variety of disciplines to learn on the job and move towards their Level 5 teaching qualification.
Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said:
“To be recognised as the best employer in the UK is hugely rewarding and testament to the emphasis we place on putting our staff at the heart of the business.
“Employee engagement and investment are among our highest priorities. This award reflects those priorities, as well as the commitment and dedication our people give us in return.
"We will continue to work hard to support our employees both personally and professionally.”
“I should emphasise the point that our win was based on a totally inclusive approach to the bid and pitch – where we talked about core business as well as staffing in apprenticeships, traineeships, prison education and in our subsidiary companies too.
All colleagues’ right across our college group played a part in this win.”
Andrew Leighton-Price, Chair of Governors at Weston College commented:
“The key to the College’s success has been the inspirational leadership from Dr Paul Phillips CBE, which has created an ethos where every member of staff is highly valued, combined with dynamic financial planning, which has given the College the sustainability to invest in its staff and to create world class facilities to upskill its region for economic growth.”
40 of our Female Business learners attended the NatWest Dream Bigger programme at the Natwest Accelerate Building in Bristol – a Hub for Entrepreneurship.
NatWest Dream Bigger is a programme aimed at creating a generation of strong, empowered women of the future by inspiring young women to understand their potential and to strive to achieve in their chosen area of interest.
Throughout the day students worked in teams to develop their creative minds and attempt to create entrepreneurial solutions to current global issues.
Subject area manager for Business, Ben Melhuish added: "The Natwest Dream bigger programme allowed our female learners to reflect upon their aspirations to engage with entrepreneurship and provided them with the opportunity to meet entrepreneurs that are supported by Natwest’s Accelerate programme.
"Overall this was a fantastic, thought-provoking experience which our students definitely made the most of. Meeting other young entrepreneurs was particularly inspiring and relatable."
A Weston College beauty therapy learner is one step away from a place in the prestigious WorldSkills international final.
Chloe Williams, 19, progressed through a series of rounds – including the WorldSkills national final at the NEC in Birmingham last month – to win a place in the UK Talent Development Programme.
Supported by the College, Chloe will now undertake an 18-month training programme with WorldSkills UK. She will then find out if she has won a place in the final UK squad to compete in Shanghai, China in 2021.
The WorldSkills international final takes place every two years and is known as the ‘Skills Olympics’. The event features over 1,000 of the world’s most talented apprentices and students, each battling it out to be named the World Champion for their skill. Chloe, of Burnham-on-Sea, has had full support of the College throughout the WorldSkills event.
Jenna Ratcliffe, Curriculum Co-ordinator for Hair and Beauty at the College, paid tribute to Chloe resilience in reaching this far in the competition.
She said: “Chloe has shown outstanding commitment to her training during her WorldSkills journey.
“She competed in previous competitions but was unable to get through the regional rounds. This simply made her more determined to get through this year.
“She is a true inspiration to all our learners.”
Ben Blackledge, Deputy Chief Executive of WorldSkills UK, said: “Congratulations to Chloe – this is a life-changing moment for her.
“Chloe has already excelled in the WorldSkills UK regional and national competitions – and now faces an even tougher test in looking to secure a place to represent the UK on the world stage.
“She has dedicated hundreds of hours to improving her skills to get to this level – but will put in many months more of hard work with our training managers in a bid to transform her career and life.”
The previous WorldSkills competition was held earlier this year in Kazan, Russia, where Team UK was awarded 19 medals. By competing in the competition, WorldSkills UK can identify global best practice, research and insight that will help the new UK government deliver world class standards in technical education.
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The most outstanding individuals and institutions that the FE sector has to offer have been recognised in the shortlist for the 2020 Tes FE Awards.
It's been revealed that Weston College has been shortlisted for two awards; Professional Services of the Year and Employer Engagement.
Tes FE editor Stephen Exley said: “Excellent practice exists right across the further education sector, and those shortlisted for the Tes FE Awards are the cream of the crop. Our judges were extremely impressed with the calibre of entries. To be shortlisted is an extraordinary achievement"
The winners will be revealed at a gala awards evening at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London on Friday 20 March 2020.
Three Weston College learners are just a step away from the international final of the prestigious WorldSkills competition. At Weston College we embrace the competition and encourage learners to build resilience and test themselves, so they are ready for employment.
Chloe Williams, Joel Keen and Thomas Griffin have been invited to join the UK Talent Development Programme after progressing through numerous rounds of their respective skills events. The national final was held last month at WorldSkills UK LIVE at the NEC in Birmingham.
The trio will now undertake an 18-month training programme with WorldSkills UK, before finding out if they have won a place in the final UK squad to compete in Shanghai, China in 2021.
Chloe, 19, of Burnham-on-Sea, is competing in the beauty therapy event, Joel Keen, 19, of Bristol, in the CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) Milling competition and Thomas Griffin, 19, of Weston-super-Mare, in the web design event.
The WorldSkills international final takes place every two years and is known as the ‘Skills Olympics’. The event features over 1,000 of the world’s most talented apprentices and students, each battling it out to be named the World Champion for their skill. Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal of Weston College, paid tribute to their talent and efforts.
He said: “For Chloe, Joel and Thomas to reach the national final of this pioneering and competitive event is an achievement in itself. But to be selected in the UK team – one step away from a global competition – is testament to their outstanding ability and determination to succeed.
“They are an inspiration to every Weston College learner, and we all wish them luck in final selection.”
Ben Blackledge, Deputy Chief Executive WorldSkills UK, said: “Congratulations to Chloe, Joel and Thomas – this is a life-changing moment. They have already excelled in the WorldSkills UK regional and national competitions – and now they are facing an even tougher test as they look to secure their place to represent the UK on the world stage.
“They have dedicated hundreds of hours to improving their skills to get to this level – but will put in many months more of hard work with our training managers in a bid to transform their careers and lives.”
The previous WorldSkills competition was held earlier this year in Kazan, Russia, where Team UK was awarded 19 medals. By competing in the competition, WorldSkills UK is able to identify global best practice, research and insight that will help the new UK government to deliver world class standards in technical education.
Find out more:
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.
