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!
Got news you want to share with us? Email marketing@weston.ac.uk
Latest events at Weston College
Latest news and developments at Weston College
Here at Weston College, we take great pride in prioritising industry experience over teaching backgrounds. This means our staff bring relevant stories from the world of work as well as valuable insights and connections into the classroom to maximise the career-boosting qualities of our courses. Afterall, we’re all about shaping careers and not just courses!
However, this ethos is not just exclusive to our teaching staff... Our talented team of creative technicians at Loxton Campus play essential roles, providing specific expertise to support learners to develop their techniques.
A recent edition to the Film and TV Production team is technician Kate Heaney. Joining the Digital Design department in 2021, Kate brings an invaluable wealth of knowledge gained from her impressive resume thanks to her diverse experience in the media industry.
Having studied Film & Television Production at the University of Westminster, Kate started working mostly as a Clapper/Loader or camera assistant on short films in London before ceasing the opportunity to move to Dubai for work after visiting on holiday!
She commented: “I loved working in Dubai! I started out working for a photography and videography studio who were in desperate need of a female video editor as they started to shoot ladies only events and weddings. I had so many amazing opportunities whilst I was out there, as I also worked on all sorts of projects from weddings to corporate and fashion/events.”
After being promoted to Senior Videographer, Kate won a prestigious contract with Ritz-Carlton, shooting architectural videos for their hotels in Moscow, Bahrain, Muscat, and Abu Dhabi.
To get a better idea of some of the things she worked on, take a look at Kate’s stunning showreel:
Kate continued: “I then decided to go freelance and managed to get on the royal wedding circuit and shot as part of a team for the royal family in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait. I did this for about 3 years before returning to the UK (Spending around 6 years working in the Middle East overall).
“Working for the Royal family, and winning the contract for the Ritz-Carlton hotel group were definitely highlights for me.”
After retuning to the UK and working in school photography, Kate decided to come and work for Weston College to accept a new challenge and work within a team again.
Kate said “It's great how every day is different as a technician. Seeing the projects students are working on is so interesting as it is a completely different experience in comparison to the courses I studied when I was younger. Technology is always changing and its refreshing to see the courses here keeping up it in more ways than one.
“I'm so impressed by the equipment that the department has. Everything is industry standard which is amazing for the students to have access to in order to properly prepare them for the world of work.
“My advice to learners is to explore all avenues within the industry. Some are vastly different and if one is not for you there are so many other types of photography/videography/filmmaking you can get into!”
What amazing accolades. Thank-you to Kate for sharing your story and continuing to help our learners reach their full potential.
Kate assists students studying the following courses. Click each course to learn more:
Level 2 Creative Media Production, UAL Diploma
Level 3 Media Production, UAL Extended Diploma
Level 3 Photography, UAL Extended Diploma
Media A Level
Media and Photography Degree Programmes at University Centre Weston
Will is a student in his first year of Sixth Form studying A Levels in Chemistry, Physics and Maths. Coming from Worle Secondary school, Will started first at another College in September. However, this didn’t suit him, and he changed to study at the Sixth Form at Weston College.
According to Will, his previous College ran their courses very differently, especially in the English and Maths departments with the two subjects being combined rather than taught one after the other. After the previous College changed their offer at the last minute, stressing out Will and his family, Will switched to Weston College Sixth Form. According to Will’s family, this transition was “incredibly smooth” and professional.
Will says that the learning and teaching standards at Weston College are what make it successful, this being backed up by the 99% pass rate achieved by Sixth Form students.
Will is enjoying his A levels, saying that the taught materials are well linked to each other creating a cohesive study experience. A high point of Sixth Form for Will is the support system as it is easy to get feedback from teachers as soon as it is needed.
Will commented “I’m really enjoying my time at Sixth Form. While it is challenging, the lecturers tie everything together really well. Weston College has high teaching and learning standards making it super successful!”
Weston College Sixth Form increases it's career-boosting benefits through the creation of the Sixth Form Career Excellence Hub. These innovative subject specific hubs allow for students at Weston College to have access to exclusive opportunities. Endorsed by employers from within the industry, this enables for better integration with the sector to make sure class content is relative and opens doors for learners, so they leave college with more than just a qualification.
After his A Levels, Will would like to go to university to study electronic engineering and then eventually become an engineer. We wish Will all the best of luck for the future!
Apprenticeships and Traineeships can often be confusing to understand, so we sat down with Sophie who is the new Apprenticeship/Traineeship Recruitment Advisor for Weston College.
Sophie went through both a Traineeship and Apprenticeship on her way to this exciting new position so she knows all of the ins and outs of both programmes. We asked her a few questions about her experience.
Who are you and what is your job role?
My name is Sophie Adams and I am the new Apprenticeship/Traineeship Recruitment Advisor for Weston College.
Why did you decide to do a traineeship?
I decided to do a Traineeship as I wanted to gain my Maths qualification and further develop employability skills to be more employable to employers. Long term I wanted to do an apprenticeship, but I felt like I wasn’t being noticed when applying for Apprenticeships as I lacked experience and struggled with interviews and application forms. The Traineeship helped me get noticed and supported me with ensuring I had the right skills, knowledge and experience in order to be successful with my next career step.
What did you progress on to?
I progressed onto a Level 2 Business Administration Apprenticeship with Weston College after completing three weeks of work experience.
What did you learn on your apprenticeship and how are you using those skills now?
I chose to do a Business Admin Apprenticeship as the skills I would be learning were really transferrable. Most jobs require the skills that I learnt on my Apprenticeship, and this opened up more options for me for after I completed my apprenticeship and gained employment.
I learnt to build my soft skills which included time management, teamwork, communication, positive thinking and self-motivation. I use this in my day-to-day life and in my current role as a Recruitment Advisor.
As well as building my soft skills I also further developed my hard skills which were more job related skills, this included Computer skills, Microsoft Office skills, public speaking, writing skills and technical skills all of which I use in my current role.
How has your apprenticeship helped you to develop into the role you’re in now?
An apprenticeship is an amazing opportunity for you to learn new things and get straight out into the world of work, all whilst gaining a nationally recognised qualification! Doing an apprenticeship is also the perfect alternative to university or college if you feel as though these options aren’t quite right for you.
An apprenticeship benefited my career massively and gave me a foot in the door with an outstanding employer. This has developed from me being an apprentice to a support worker and now my current role. Without doing a Traineeship or an apprenticeship I would still lack skills and experience to be able to secure employment with a company and progress within one too.
What is your current role and what support do you offer?
My role is to manage Traineeship referrals and ensure learners are supported onto the Traineeship and are ready to start. I also attend events and manage traineeship vacancies.
Why should people get in touch and access support?
Traineeships are fully funded and for anyone aged 16-24 or 25 with an Education and Health Care Plan. The future depends on what you do today so if you are unsure of what to do with your career but want to gain employment or start an apprenticeship or even get back into education then a Traineeship is perfect for you.
What would you say to someone considering a traineeship or apprenticeship?
Looking back, I’m so glad I did a traineeship, and I would recommend this to anyone who needs that little extra support or are unsure of their next steps and what their future holds. Traineeships put me on the right path for success and I am so glad I decided on this route for my career.
How can anyone get in touch with you and your team?
If you are interested in a Traineeship or would like to discuss this further please send an email to traineeship.enquiries@weston.ac.uk and I will be in touch.
Thanks so much to Sophie for speaking to us about her experience going through a traineeship and apprenticeship, clearly it’s been a great experience! We know she’ll do great in her new role and help plenty of future trainees!
