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
Weston College have joined the national campaign to support the The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) - a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.
The Principal and Chief Executive Dr Paul Phillips CBE, was joined by staff and students to plant their first tree at the College’s South West Skills Campus on Locking Road, Weston-super-Mare. This is just one of many of the College’s green initiatives that ties in with its wider sustainability and social action framework. Also in attendance were Emily Burnell (Woods Project Coordinator at the Woodland Trust), Pete Lane (Horticulture Lecturer) and ex-students now working within Butcombe Farm’s philanthropic venture Uncle Paul’s Chilli Charity, working in partnership with the College, with its innovatively designed alternative outdoor classroom model - providing real world learning at the heart of the farms’ chilli cuisine production.
Dr Phillips commented: “The Queen’s Green Canopy is a really interesting project and it’s one that everyone can get involved in. I would encourage all schools, businesses, community groups and members of the public out there now to really get behind this as we move towards the jubilee – its also a great chance to connect with each other and inspire young people as the future custodians of the UK’s green spaces, forests and woodlands.
As a College, our wider sustainability work is leading the region whether this is working with businesses to create green apprenticeships, or supporting people to retain for green careers, we are supporting many organisations achieve the change required to collectively work towards ‘Net Zero’ - and this very much includes innovative social action projects such as this one to build stronger, greener communities”.
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.
Bridgend based insulation experts, ROCKWOOL visited South West Skills Campus yesterday (15th February), to showcase the ROCKWOOL experience to our construction students.
The interactive van allowed the learners to see and feel how ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation products perform, through a hands-on demonstration.
Learners developed their knowledge further in areas such as improving thermal, acoustic, and fire performance through expert training and guidance.
As part of our Construction Career Excellence Hub, Weston College learners experience a curriculum which gives a greater focus on preparing them for industry, and this experience was a part of that.
The event was arranged by Business Partnership Manager, Lynsey McKinstry, who said: “At Weston College we believe it is vital to connect industry with education, because it benefits everyone, from employers to learners.
“Bringing ROCKWOOL in today has not only inspired the learners, but has also taught them new techniques, which is vital in their skills development.”
Subject Area Manager for Construction, Richard Hanney, added: “It was great to welcome ROCKWOOL today. The learners really enjoyed this valuable experience, which has given them a greater insight into insulation.”
Find out more about our Construction courses, by clicking here.
Students from the Level 2 Professional Chef T Level Transition Programme had the amazing opportunity of hosting a guest lecture from Chefs in The Army!
During the lecture students were shown what it is like to be a Chef within The Army and how they can get involved. After being split into teams, learners were then poised with the challenge of making a 3-course meal for 2 people out of ration packs! They were given 10 minutes to menu plan and a further 1 hour 30 minutes to prepare and cook.
The learners produced innovative and amazing meals such as broccoli and onion soup, mince beef and onion pie with mash potato, cookie bread and butter pudding and homemade garlic gnocchi!
Teams were then judged by the Seargent's and were scored on Best Starter, Best Main Meal, Best Dessert, and an Overall Winner.
Team 3 won Best Starter with their broccoli mac and cheese with garlic bread, Team 2 won Best Main Course with the homemade pasta and meatballs and Team 1 won Best Dessert with their cookie bread and butter pudding. But the overall winner of the challenge for their performance, communication skills, teamwork and presentation were Team 2!
Learner Crystal, comments “It was really fun, but at the same time hard because you only had 1 hour and 30 mins for a three-course meal! I found it very challenging, but I really enjoyed the whole event!”
Hospitality and Catering lecturer Debbie says, “I am so proud of the group here today they did extremely well and were amazing. They did the me and the college proud today even the Army Sergeants said we should be proud of all the students today."
As a part of the Hospitality and Catering Career Excellence Hub, learners are given the opportunity to gain employability skills from employers and gain real life skills that they can take on into their careers. Within the new T Level course, students can learn about the catering and hospitality industry, food, and safety hygiene in the kitchen, menu planning and costing and preparing all different foods. Alongside the course students will gain a full understanding of the industry by completing a Level 2 food and beverage service during their Individual Development (ID) time.
Sandra Bull, Divisional Lead of Hospitality and Catering, says “Ensuring our learners have an opportunity to seek out a variety of career pathways is important as they developed both skills and confidence in their programme of study. This session was a challenge which demonstrated how they would need to adapt quickly for a career in the Army but resilience in a working environment. The group have discovered you can eat well even out of ration pack ingredients!”
