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
Yesterday (Tuesday 6th December), six volunteers from our plumbing and electrical courses headed to Asda in Weston-super-Mare, to give back to the local community.
Learners got stuck in, supporting shoppers and staff throughout the day, taking part in tasks such as: packing customers bags for them, handling stock control and stacking shelves.
Shoppers and staff alike were impressed with the learners, who were praised for working selflessly, and having a smile on their face throughout the day.
Lee Baker, Electrical Lecturer at Weston College, said: “I am so proud of the learners, they not only gave up their time to help others, but they were very happy to be there and offered support in as many different ways as they could.
“The learners were a great representation for Weston College. They were fully engaged, and held some great conversations with members of the public, as well as staff in Asda - it was fantastic to see. A huge well done to all involved.”
A huge well done to our volunteers: Russ, Molly, Jack, Lee, Leon and James.
UCW Engineering Degree Apprentice, Jared Newnham, has been named the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Apprentice winner.
At age 20, Ministry of Defence Aerospace Engineering Degree Apprentice, Jared, is currently undertaking a placement as an Airworthiness Certification Manager, where he is responsible for increasing air system operational capabilities through risk reduction and type design change embodiment. As part of his apprenticeship, Jared created a robust, regulatory compliant procedure that has been used for multiple complex technical queries and is being rolled out to all projects within the Delivery Team.
Jared’s apprenticeship is delivered through University Centre Weston (UCW) in partnership with UWE, Bristol. The course offers apprentices just like Jared the opportunity to combine full-time paid work with part-time academic study. All engineering courses at UCW are delivered in the fantastic facilities on offer at our South West Skills Campus. This ensures students like Jared have access to the highest of industry-standard facilities, in order to learn and develop inside and outside of the classroom.
In addition to his main duties, Jared has become a keen advocate for engineering within the local community, coordinating an outreach event to promote careers to sixth form students and mentoring struggling classmates. Outside of work, Jared has a keen interest in exploring the outdoors through hikes and amateur astronomy.
On receiving the award, Jared said: “I can’t believe that I’ve been chosen as the IET’s Apprentice winner for 2022. There are so many apprentices doing great things across engineering so to be given this award makes me really proud.
“For anyone thinking about taking up a career in STEM, I would definitely recommend looking into apprenticeships. My placement with the Ministry of Defence has led to so many incredible opportunities which I will look back on fondly and which will hopefully lead to a long and enjoyable career.”
The IET Achievement Awards exist to recognise individuals from all over the world who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of engineering, technology and science in any sector. This can be through research and development in their respective technical field or through their leadership of an enterprise.
Professor Bob Cryan, IET President said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Jared who has been making great waves in the world of engineering despite being so early on in his career. It is inspiring to see that Jared is using his passion for STEM to help teach others about the opportunities available to them, increasing awareness amongst members of his local community.
“Each of the award finalists demonstrated an exceptional level of skill and knowledge, spanning beyond their roles which made judging extremely difficult. All have taken on challenging projects and thanks to their creativity and resolve, have had a positive impact in their companies. I wish all of them the best of luck for a rewarding engineering career ahead.”
The Achievement Awards are part of the IET’s Awards and Scholarships programme, which celebrate excellence and research in the sector and encourage the next generation of engineers and technicians. All IET awards seek to inspire and reward engineering excellence, including apprentices at the start of their careers, through to reputable, established professional engineers and technicians.
Amazing work Jared!
Weston College continues to buck the national trend when it comes to apprenticeships, having successfully achieved more than 300 apprenticeship enrolments in just 50 days!
The campaign which aimed to counter youth unemployment, and provide new opportunities for people looking to take the next step in their career, proved to be highly successful; with opportunities created across sectors.
Companies of all sizes pledged to get involved, from global heavyweights such as GKN, to national organisations like the NHS, as well up and coming businesses, like Apache Construction.
Jayne Pashley, Apprenticeship Co-ordinator at North Somerset Council, has hired an apprentice through the campaign, she said: “ At North Somerset Council we love apprenticeships. For us, they offer a fantastic way of not only recruiting new talent, but also unlocking the future of our workforce, which we believe is key in business growth.
“The team at Weston College have supported us from start to finish, and have made the whole process really easy. I would highly recommend apprenticeships.
“We look forward to developing our apprentices and hopefully supporting many more in the future.”
John Mackeldon, Hewlett Packard Enterprise agreed, saying: “The whole apprenticeship process has been really easy, and our new apprentice has brought fresh ideas and energy to the team which has been really important in our business.”
Sir Paul Phillips, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, added: “We continue to lead the way when it comes to apprenticeships. Apprenticeships offer everyone involved tangible benefits, from vital experience for the apprentice to employers accessing talented individuals.
“Every year we set bigger challenges, and every year we deliver. To create so many opportunities in such a short period of time, truly is incredible, so I’d like to thank our local business community who have got behind the campaign and pledged to support our community, by offering residents the opportunity to retrain, upskill or get their first taste of employment.
“Something I have been especially pleased to see, is the fact that we are working with employers of all sizes through apprenticeships – including over 300 new SMEs in 2022.
“It isn’t too late to pledge to take on an apprentice, we offer apprenticeship opportunities all year round, so we can help you with your recruitment whenever you are ready to offer an apprenticeship.”
