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Engineering, as an industry, is so diverse and can be suited to so many people; it’s a huge combination of different sectors, including chemical, composite, civil and electrical engineering. When studying, you will have the opportunity to find out which aspect is your favourite, which is best suited to you, and which you’d most like to specialise in as you progress to higher levels.

As the industry is highly technical and is highly difficult to succeed in without substantial prior training, it can be financially beneficial to make up for it! The starting salary is higher than an average graduate, at around £26,000. As well as having the training and knowledge, you will also develop a huge number of transferable skills to have with you in the workplace, as well as in your personal life, including communication, leadership, and critical reasoning.

Another huge benefit of working in Engineering is its ever-changing nature, so where technology develops and evolves, it will be part of your job to pre-empt, adapt and learn about these new changes. This will result in a job that you’ll never get bored of!

By studying with us to gain your qualifications in Engineering, you’ll be able to find out about the Careers Excellence Hub, which will include many career-boosting benefits, as well as working alongside and hearing from huge names in the engineering industry, for example Airbus and GKN.

Plus, when studying with Weston College, the level you enter in won’t matter as we provide education for all levels, and in different formats. For example, if you would benefit and learn best from nearly all hands-on work, plus a wage, an apprenticeship would be ideal. However, if you felt some days looking at theory while in the classroom would be better suited, a T Level could be the course for you. We want to help you find the best suited course for you!

There is also predicted to be a shortage of engineers by around 2026, meaning there is no better time to begin studying towards qualifying, as the shortage may be lessened by an influx of learners beginning to train now! Furthermore, as engineering is currently perceived much more as a male dominated career path, our goal is for that stereotype to be overwritten, and create more equality in the industry, eventually eradicating the idea that it’s male dominated.

If you're interested in pursuing a career in engineering, click on the links to find out about the opportunities offered at Weston College to 16-19s, and to adults!

I have been working with closely with Weston College on several exciting projects, all with the aim of supporting young people to kickstart their careers.

After having a successful career and now running my own business (Neil’s Data Consultancy), I really wanted to give something back to help students think about what they might like to do, along with giving some practical tips along the way.

Weston-super-Mare is in my blood and as a former student of Weston Sixth Form, I could not think of a better educational partner to help provide that advice and support.

Over the last year I have been involved in exciting initiatives with Weston College, which has really benefited myself as an employer, but more importantly, young people looking for an opportunity.

I started off by getting involved in Kickstart, offering two placements to local people that were looking for an opportunity. I offered them the chance to become Assistant Accountants, and they were involved in everything; client management, bookkeeping, VAT returns, payroll submissions, accounts preparation work and management reporting production.

It had a huge impact on the business, as not only did they complete their work to a high standard, but it also released me to work on other areas of the business, such as marketing, networking and providing valuable business advisory services to clients.

I was so impressed that I offered one of the people on placement a permanent job, and they continue to thrive within the organisation.

It has been fantastic to give someone with no prior experience an opportunity and support them through training and sharing knowledge that I have developed over the years in industry. To now see them in full time employment and furthering their development with a funded chartered accountancy course, has been highly rewarding personally, as well as hugely beneficial to the business.

We did not want our work with Weston College to end there, so we decided to get involved with their new Career Excellence Hubs and provide learners with opportunities to develop key skills required by industry and give them a taste of the real world of work.

It’s important for industry and education to cross over to ensure that the young people in Weston have the skills they need for the future. Things have moved on a lot since I was a student and so it's important to understand the different paths a student can now take from education into employment.

On top of this, there are some hugely talented students out there and through something like an apprenticeship programme with Weston College, we can help nurture and train individuals to be incredibly valuable assets to our businesses.

If like me, you run a business and want to access a new pool of talent, then I highly recommend contacting the team at Weston College, you won’t be disappointed.

Neil Criddle, Neil’s Data Consultancy

If you would like to become a Future Talent Business Partner like Neil, you can find out how, by clicking here. 

Are you interested in pursuing a career in Software Development? Read our top tips on how you can get started today! 

What does a Software Developer do? 

Software Developers are an essential part of our ever-expanding digital world, but what do they actually do? Well, the simplest answer is, a lot! Software Developers’ work is vast and diverse. That film you watched on Netflix last night? The tweet you just sent from your phone? The new video game you cannot wait to play? All of that is thanks to Software Developers!  

Software Developers use their specialist programming skills to design, develop and test new software. This could be for a variety of areas - from online shopping retailers like ASOS, to social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok. The job of a Software Developer is to ensure the user’s experience always reaches optimum levels by creating code, fixing bugs and continuously assessing the software to make improvements and adaptations. 

Average Software Developer salary: £24K - £70K (According to Gov.uk) 

Software Developer jobs:  

• Applications Developer 

• Web Designer 

• Game Developer 

• Software Engineer 

Does this sound like your kind of job? Read on to find out how to get there! 

The Best Place to Start 

To begin your journey towards a career in Software Development, find a course that will start from the beginning and support you to learn and hone the skills you need. Our T Level in Digital: Production, Design and Development or Software Development Technician Apprenticeship would be great places to start! A lot of jobs in the industry also require degree level education to access those higher progression routes. Luckily, there are a number of relevant courses available here in Weston-super-Mare through University Centre Weston (UCW): BSc (Hons) Applied Computing and Digital User Experience (UX) Degree Apprenticeship. 

The BSc (Hons) Applied computing programme is a full-time 3 year degree that is delivered in partnership with the West of England Institute of Technology – designed to collaboratively tackle skill shortages by providing relevant courses that directly link to industry demands. 

Decide on Your Goals 

Before you embark on your Software Development journey, have a think about where you see yourself in 3-5 years time. Do you want to work for an education provider or a game development company? Would you prefer to work in an office or remotely? Maybe you see yourself working freelance or for an agency?  

Deciding what you want out of your career will help you navigate your training. Perhaps you need to think about a specific area you should develop your skills in. For example, if you want to pursue a career in a marketing, do you need to grow your understanding of GDPR and how information is properly stored? 

Once you have a clear idea of where you want to go, you can streamline and personalise your training or studies to better suit your goals.  

Learn the Language 

One of the most crucial ingredients in becoming a Software Developer is learning a programming language! For a successful career in this industry, you will need a good core understanding of one or more of the following:  
 
Java - is a programming language that works across a multitude of platforms including Android and the internet – primarily used for developing server-side applications. 
 
Python – Generally considered the simplest and easiest to learn, Python is an excellent place to start if you’re new to the world of programming! 
 
C/C++ - Used for a wide range of programming including software engineering, data structures, game programming, developing browsers, operating systems and applications. 
 
Scala – Developed as a 'new and improved’ version of Java, Scala is an object-oriented language used for functional programming and strong static systems. 

Find Your Niche 

While you study and improve your skills in the art of developing software, start to consider what you, as a Software Developer, want your niche to be. A niche is essentially a specialism – something that you’re great at, that will make employers and clients want YOU.  

Maybe you want to progress into a career in web design, so gaining a fully comprehensive flare in Wordpress or other content management systems (CMS) like Squarespace or Wix would be great for your portfolio!  

Here are some more examples of areas you might find your niche: 

• App Design/Development 

• Data Science 

• Cybersecurity 

Produce Your Portfolio  

Make sure you’re collating everything you create into a portfolio! Think of your portfolio as an extension of your CV, something that will let you say, “I am an incredible Software Developer, and this is why!”  

As you progress and develop, start to refine and curate your portfolio to reflect your absolute best work – ensuring that work is in-line with the Software Development jobs you want to apply for.  

What should my portfolio include? 

• Name and contact information 

• Link to your CV 

• Examples of your highest quality work 

If you stick to these top tips, along with committing time and effort into your studies, you’ll be a Software Developer before you know it! 

To explore our options in Computing and Digital Technologies click here. 

To find out more about UCW’s Higher Education opportunities in Software Development, click here.