News and events
We aim to keep you up-to-date with the very latest Weston College news and events. Take a look below at what's going on at the College!
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Latest events at Weston College
Latest news and developments at Weston College
Weston College is proud to be the lead College for the West of England Institute of Technology (WEIoT) which is playing a pivotal role in the skills agenda of our region. As the national recruitment statistics for IoTs are revealed in FE Week, the WEIoT is delighted to announce that it has achieved 118% of its enrolment targets to date.
Weston College is working in collaboration with education partners Bath College, Gloucestershire College, Yeovil College, UWE Bristol and our employer partners Airbus, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston Trust, National Composite Centre, Bamboo, Renishaw, Jisc, iO Academy, GKN Aerospace, Rolls Royce, St Monica Trust, Leonardo, GE Aviation and North Somerset Council.
As Sir Paul Phillips, Principal and Chief Executive for Weston College, stated, “Our IoT is based on a hub and spokes model with a robust leadership team and partners who understand the skills agenda. Targets are not easy in some cases but between us dialogue has been positive. We are employer always guided and have established strong links with DfE et al so that there is a shared knowledge of matters with shared resolution. The West of England IoT is pivotal to the skills agenda in our region and built upon trust and entrepreneurship. I worry that a public sector mentality may damage the innovation and rapid response to skills shortages in the future realised to date. At present however we are driving change and there are opportunities for modularisation but still a need to recognise that skills needs and qualifications are not the same thing. The IoT has huge potential to influence skills solutions and all credit to the West of England Combined Authority for recognising that pump prime revenue funding is a pre requisite for success.”
Read the full FE Week article here: Experts and minister hail ‘flying start’ as recruitment stats for IoTs revealed
Learners studying courses from the Public Services Career Excellence Hub, have taken part in some exciting adventures recently.
Adventurous training, sport and physical fitness are all at the very core of the various Armed Forces and Emergency Services that our learners aspire to build careers in, so learners get the opportunity to test their skills and build their confidence through several activities.
Some of the activities that learners have recently participated in, have included:
- 28km hike / camp through the Brecon Beacons
- Orienteering at Ashton Court
- Developing personal climbing in the Sports Hall
- Boxing skill sessions
- ‘Stairwell Challenge’ where learners completed as many ascents of the back stairwell, raising money for RAG Week.
The activities have involved learners across different levels and year groups, leading to rapport building, increased physical and mental robustness and a greater awareness of the careers they are aiming for.
If you’d like to find out more about our Public Services courses, click here.
Weston College, a leading further education institution, is proud to announce its participation in The Education Training Foundation (ETF) Leadership Mental Health and Wellbeing project. This project aims to create space for leaders to reflect on and share their journey towards self-awareness and positive mental health, through a trauma-informed approach.
The project offers various resources such as webinars, podcasts, and blogs. Since January 2023, different leaders from FE have shared their journey on how they’ve changed the culture within their organisation. Through listening, learning, and leading by example, a culture shift can be embedded, starting from the top.
The podcast series "ETF Leadership Mental Health and Wellbeing: Changing your culture to embed mental health and wellbeing at the heart of further education," showcases real stories from FE leaders who have approached “reflection and resolution” within their own individual practice and wider organisational approaches, specifically addressing how to avoid burnout and be equipped to deal with stress. Polly Harrow, Assistant Principal Student Experience, Kirklees College and Chair of Executive Board, National Association for the Managers of Student Services (NAMSS) interviews a series of guests about how they’ve been on a journey of creating a culture change within their organisation.
In the second podcast episode, Polly talks to Sir Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive, and Dr. Georgie Ford, Strategic Lead – Healthcare and Nursing at Weston College about their experience and learning from their trauma-informed approach to mental health support. The interview focuses on their experience and learning from their trauma-informed approach to mental health support, particularly on how they support staff mental health and wellbeing and the impact this has had on changing the culture of the organisation. They discuss how they have created a supportive environment for staff, including training, regular check-ins, and open communication channels, and how this has positively impacted the overall mental health and wellbeing of staff and students.
The podcast provides valuable insights into the importance of creating a culture shift towards mental health and wellbeing in education institutions, as well as practical advice for leaders looking to implement changes within their organisations.
This program is delivered by Association of Colleges, commissioned by the Education and Training Foundation on behalf of the Department for Education.
To listen to the podcast series, search "ETF leadership mental health and wellbeing" on your podcast provider app or click here for the episode on Spotify.
Weston College is proud to be part of this project and hopes to continue promoting a positive culture towards mental health and wellbeing in the education sector.
