News and events

In 2021, Weston College launched the Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in Esports, and the learners have already achieved an impressive accolade, reaching the semi-finals of the British Esports Championships.

The learners have formed several teams, who all compete in their chosen games, and the team that play ‘Overwatch’ are gaining national exposure, for their success in reaching the semi-final. After competing in initial trials in October (just one month into the course) to pick their starting 6 prior to starting the season for the British E-Sports Championships.

They achieved a win in all their games in the lead up to Winter split. Because of their placement and results, the team was placed in Division 1.

After competing against the other teams in Division 1, they placed second to reach the Semi-Finals in the elimination stages.

In their first game, they beat Welsh College, Coleg Sir Gar 3-0. In their second game, they went the distance and played into overtime on the final map as they beat Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies’ Overwatch team, Confetti Arrows, 3-2.

From there, the training stepped up to practicing 5-6 times a week to prepare for the semi-finals against Queen Mary College (QM Samurais). Unfortunately, they were not able to progress from there after losing 3-0, but still gave the other team a very close game and played valiantly, going into overtime multiple times on different maps. Luke, a student who plays for the team, commented on this by saying: “I will hopefully do it again. The team that knocked us out this year is graduating, whereas the core of our team is staying, so we hope we’re able to win next year.”

Roger, another member of the team, added: “Competing is always great fun and challenges us to improve our teamwork and communication skills – a highlight of this year was being livestreamed on the British Esports Twitch channel; I certainly want to compete again next year!”

Will Price, a supportive member of staff, summarised: “We had an amazing run and were deserved semi-finalists; the dedication to training and improving as a team was inspirational to see.”

If you’re interested in the opportunities available in E-Sports, click here.

New research shows the extent of the Southwest’s demand for sustainable living, as the majority would consider a home to be worth more money if it was sustainably constructed. A report released alongside the research highlights the technical skills that are needed if the Southwest’s consumers’ green ambitions are to be met.  

The skills to succeed: Meeting the country’s evolving technical skills needs’ report, produced on behalf of the Institutes of Technology, looks at a range of challenges that communities, face today, including sustainable construction, transport, and tackling threats to national cyber security.  

Research released alongside the report shows that more than half of people in the UK are worried about the risk of cyber threats either at home or in the workplace. It also shows that 77% of the public think the likes of banks, social media companies and shops need to do more to keep their customers’ data safe.  

Furthermore, the report shows that 82% of businesses now see cyber security as a high priority. However, around half (51%) say they face a basic technical cyber security skills gap with 44% of cyber vacancies reported as being “hard to fill” since the start of 2020. Therefore a workforce with the right technical skills is needed. 

The West of England Institute of Technology is plugging this gap by teaching skill that can be applied to the ever-evolving threats to cyber security.  

The West of England Institute of Technology (IoT) is part of a new national network of regional partnerships between local colleges (including Weston College), universities and leading employers across England, created to ensure the technical skills and knowledge needed to overcome the biggest challenges communities face are accessible to all. IoTs provide training in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) based occupations, many of which address sustainability demands facing the country, such as in energy, transport and digital industries. Their work is increasing the accessibility of vital expertise for employers seeking to embrace innovation. 

Michelle Donelan, Minister for Higher and Further Education, says: “Institutes of Technology are not only playing a critical role in helping to close skills gaps in key sectors such as sustainable construction, but crucially, they are providing people with high quality technical training that leads to good jobs, helping to level up opportunity across our country. 

“The need to support sectors such as advanced manufacturing and engineering, construction and digital looks set to only grow and with their close ties to employers, Institutes of Technology will be the driving force behind ensuring the workforce is ready for future technological change and changing working practices.” 

As well as covering Cyber: Tackling threats to national security, The skills to succeed: Meeting the country’s evolving technical skills needs’ report looks into other challenges communities are facing today, and how Institutes of Technology are helping to plug gaps. The topics include, Energy: Powering the nation in new ways, Construction: Building a sustainable future,  Electric Vehicles: Driving transport innovation and Agriculture: Cultivating technical skills. 

Read the full report here.