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
A new Employment Centre to give hundreds of jobseekers better access to employment skills and training programmes, has opened opposite College’s Knightstone Campus in central Weston.
The new site - Weston Employment Centre - has been delivered in collaboration with Weston College, and Seetec Pluss who are delivering the government’s Restart scheme to help long-term unemployed people to find new opportunities.
The Restart Scheme is helping people who have been out of work for nine months or longer to pick up the skills they need for the modern workforce and helping them with tailored support to find suitable, sustainable jobs.
John Penrose MP marked the launch of Weston Employment Centre in an official opening attended by guests and stakeholders.
Alongside John Penrose, they were shown around the new state-of-the-art Centre to discover more about its unique partnership and talked to some the participants already benefitting its employment support.
Drew Smith, Restart Scheme Operations Director commented: “Our Restart Scheme team in Weston is currently supporting 400 individuals on their journey back into employment which is really fantastic. Even better than that, we’re working with the College to develop bespoke courses specifically for our participants.”
He continued, “The South West is predominantly one of the lowest paid areas in the country and we feel that the skills side of things is a real opportunity for us to change some of that.”
A Seetec Pluss participant on the Restart Scheme, who is also benefitting from the collaboration with Weston College, attended the opening to share her story of how she was plummeted into unemployment as a result of the pandemic. 41-year-old Jenny from Milton shared, “I’ve been unemployed for around 18 months now. I had a good job in Project Co-ordination, and I was by all means like everybody else.
“Like many people during the pandemic, I lost my job as a result of childcare problems and the financial impact of that was massive and caused me to sell a lot of my things to keep my family going. As time went on, I was increasingly isolated, and it bedded a sense of hopelessness that destroys your hope for the future.
“Seetec Pluss were a breath of fresh air; they were so welcoming, friendly and they really understood me. One of the most significant things they were able to do for me was provide me with a laptop which allowed me to reconnect with employment opportunities and create a professional job application.
“They also encouraged me to enrol with Weston College,” she continued, “so I’m now doing a Leadership and Management course to upskill and hopefully find even better employment than I was in before.
“I’m truly grateful; thank you isn’t a word that even begins to explain how grateful I am for what they’ve been able to do for me.”
Jo Watson, Weston College Group Deputy Principal said: “Seetec Pluss is a leading provider of work and wellbeing services that inspires thousands of people to find and progress in work each year, so for us this is a perfect partner, as they align with the College’s mission to create brighter futures. I would really encourage anyone who has found themselves out of work, to come and visit the new Weston Employment Centre, where I have seen first-hand how it can help individuals boost their confidence, learn and develop skills and get people back into work.”
John Penrose MP added: “The whole reason why Seetec Pluss is here and why this partnership is so important is not just because we’re coming out of a pandemic, it’s because we’d still always want organisations like this in partnership with local colleges doing what is happening here.
“It’s absolutely essential for people’s self-respect, for our overall economy, but also for the success and long-term sustainability of a community like Weston-super-Mare, that we take people who through no fault of their own just got a bit far away from the employment market and need a couple of very practical things done with them in order to get that back. The people of Weston [super-Mare] are showing the way to the rest of the country about how it could be done and how it should be done.”
Seetec Pluss supports over 40,000 people every year with a wide range of barriers, disabilities and health conditions to move towards and into work. To find out more, visit Work, Wellbeing & Employment Services - Seetec Pluss
Thanks to industry connections, Ethan Shi (lecturer in A Level Media) invited Kenny Tran and Nour Abida to visit the first year Sixth Form class at Loxton Campus and give some valuable advice straight form their experiences in the world of work.
Kenny is currently a Director & Producer at national shopping channel QVC where he is in charge of the production team as well as managing budgets, freelancers and post-production ready for live TV output.
Freelancing for 3 years after graduating from University, Nour joined the BBC as an assistant producer before their permanent role as BBC World Service Journalist/Producer, producing a live radio programme.
The two special guests shared their past projects, gave insight into their portfolio of works, and spoke to the class about their experiences working in several roles in the creative industries.
The session enabled students to acknowledge functional skills gained whilst doing A Level Media such as learning pre-production scriptwriting, post-production editing and different directions needed for future industry placements, employment, or further study. The speakers emphasised the importance of grabbing every opportunity or production roles and learning to work your way up from the bottom.
Learners were also tasked with pitching their unique ideas on emerging digital platforms. They then worked in groups to go out there to produce innovative content.
Guest lecture sessions such as these are examples of one of the many career-boosting benefits as part 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.
Ethan added: "Overall the interactive session raised their confidence and their ability to adapt to new challenges by sharing their strengths and weakness with each other. The students really valued the functioning skills needed for key industry practice and gained a lot from the session which could benefit their upcoming coursework component."
Many thanks to Kenny and Nour for sharing your knowledge and experiences to bring learning to life!
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Weston College are continuing to promote sustainability by supporting the Queen’s Green Canopy as two more trees are planted at Loxton Campus.
The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a national campaign that was created to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. With a focus on reducing carbon footprints and promoting sustainability, the initiative encourages people from across the country to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”. Once planted, the trees are then uploaded to the official QGC website and interactive map for all to see.
Principal and Chief Executive Dr Paul Phillips CBE, has pioneered the support of the QGC by encouraging staff students and local businesses to “do their bit” by planting a tree in a space available to them.
As a result, two apple trees were planted on 24th March at the College’s Loxton Campus. Situated near Weston General Hospital, Loxton Campus is home to the College’s Sixth Form for A Levels, the bespoke Creative Arts department and start-of-the-art facilities for Sport and Health at the Health and Active Living Skills Centre.
Learners in Music, Media, Photography and Art joined Dr Paul Phillips and representatives from the College’s governing body, which included Chair of Governors Andrew Leighton-Price who placed the final soil over the freshly planted trees.
These trees mark just some of the trees planted as part of the College’s wider sustainability initiatives at each campus. with trees at South West Skills Campus and at Uncle Paul’s Chill Charity at Butcombe Farm as well as countless more planted by members of staff in their own gardens.
Dr Paul commented: “We’re putting North Somerset on the map! And I am delighted to continue supporting superb initiatives such as the Queen’s Green Canopy as part of our new sustainability framework. Seeing our learners enthused and engaged with sustainability gives me lots of hope as we strive to create brighter and greener futures.” Weston College is currently running a student and staff competition to encourage tree planting in support of this unique community initiative. Prizes of £100/£50 Amazon vouchers are on offer for first and second prizes for the best picture of people with their trees.
The campaign, along with many upcoming green initiatives, falls under Weston College's new Sustainability and Social Action Framework which will soon be launched to promote sustainable practices and projects across the college and the wider community. Visit www.queensgreencanopy.org to see who’s already planted in your area and how to pin your tree to the interactive Jubilee map, as well as to find out more information to engage with wider sustainability in support of Her Majesty the Queen. The best tree planting season is till the end of March, and restarts in October for the end of the year.
