News and events

On Wednesday 5th July, the service sectors faculty and learners hosted Laura Leong, High Performance Skills Coach, from WorldSkills UK.

Weston College are proudly a WorldSkills Centre of Excellence, meaning access to world-class teacher training build on WorldSkills international insights. Additionally, it allows a network to build for peer-to-peer innovation and a global community of thought leadership.

Through the connections of WorldSkills, our learners are treated to incredible guest lectures and live demonstrations such as Laura visiting.

Laura spent the morning with our Floristry learners introducing them to competence to excellence methodologies. The learners created 'German style decorative hand tied bouquets'.

This design could be attempted by learners who have mastered basic spiral technique who wish to extend their learning to feature some insights into international best practice. Whilst this approach cannot be fully adopted into the everyday commercial production of every bouquet, it is a valuable addition to the skills and knowledge of a developing floristry student. It does produce results that demonstrate higher order competences and the advanced craftsmanship of a trained florist on a global level.

In the afternoon Laura hosted a Mindset Masterclass with educators from Service Sectors, Health and Sport, ESOL, Maths and English and Professional Studies. The session was titled 'Looking beyond the carrot and the stick'; educators examined different types of motivation and goal setting in relation to achieving learner's personal best.

Jenna Ratcliffe, Divisional Lead of Service Sectors, commented on the success of the day: “It’s such an honour having guest lecturers from WorldSkills come in to share their skills and expertise with the learners. It’s always so fantastic seeing the learners engage in new techniques and topics, and it’s clear how meaningful these sessions are."

Find out more about our courses, here!

Last night (6th July), Weston College was crowned as the Apprenticeship Training Provider of the Year, at the South West Apprenticeship Awards.

The South West Apprenticeship Awards, in their inaugural year, marked a significant milestone for the region. Previously, separate events such as the Bristol and Bath Apprenticeship Awards (which Weston College has won four times in the past five years) and the South Gloucestershire Apprenticeship Awards celebrated the achievements of local apprentices and businesses. However, this year's expanded ceremony encompassed a broader area, recognising the outstanding contributions made by organisations and individuals in apprenticeship training across the region, in multiple industries.

The glittering event took place at the home of Bristol City FC and Bristol Bears Rugby Club, Ashton Gate stadium, and was hosted by former Olympic athlete and revered television personality, Iwan Thomas.

With an atmosphere brimming with excitement and anticipation, attendees eagerly awaited the announcement of the award winners, each vying for recognition as the pinnacle of excellence in apprenticeship training.

Amongst the winners were several apprentices who are studying with Weston College, with winners including:

• George from Mott MacDonald, who won Apprentice of the Year (Construction & Property Industries) and South West Apprentice of the Year
• Lewis from MBDA, who won Apprentice of the Year (Technology, Digital & Creative Sector)

Sir Paul Phillips, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College Group, expressed his delight at the achievements: “Winning the Apprenticeship Training Provider of the Year award is a tremendous honour for Weston College. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, learners, and employer partners who have consistently strived for excellence in apprenticeship training.

“The team at Weston College are truly dedicated to nurturing the talents and ambitions of our learners, and we champion equipping individuals with the skills, knowledge, and practical experience necessary to thrive in their chosen fields.

“I am also delighted to see so many of our apprentices pick-up well-deserved awards too. Congratulations to George and Lewis, who have all shown that they have the skills, knowledge and attitude to achieve amazing things in their careers.”

If you would like to find out more about studying an apprenticeship with Weston College, click here.

Or if you are an employer who would like to discover how apprenticeships can support your business, click here. 

The Mayor of Weston-super-Mare, Councillor Ciaran Cronnelly, visited South West Skills Campus this morning to greet and give well wishes to the brand-new learners in for their Welcome Day!

His presence at the college symbolised the town's commitment to fostering a vibrant and supportive educational environment for its students.

The Welcome Day gave the new learners the opportunity to meet their classmates, their teachers, and see the facilities ahead of their start date in September. Subject areas including Engineering, Motor Vehicle, Construction and more held a series of activities for the learners, to engage them in the topics and give a taste of what’s to come.

Following a short introduction from Richard Hanney, the Head of Construction, the Mayor spoke to the learners about the opportunities that lie ahead while studying at Weston College, the benefits of working in the Construction, Engineering or Motor Vehicle industry, and how he got to where he is now since his college days.

He was then given a tour of the fantastic facilities throughout South West Skills Campus, and immersed himself in the activities taking place, engaging with the learners as he made his way round the campus.

Richard Hanney told us after: “We were so grateful the Mayor could take the time out of his busy schedule to visit us on Welcome Day. His words were very inspiring, and his presence was very much appreciated on such an important day. We look forward to seeing the learners begin their courses in September, and having the Mayor at the college again in the future!”

Find out about our Construction courses, here.