<p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Recently, our second year Level 3 </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; target="_blank">Travel and Tourism</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> learners took a trip to the Mendip Activity Centre to provide a more hands-on and immersive learning experience for the students.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">This trip coincided perfectly with one of their recent modules, Managing Accommodation, as it gave the learners insight into a local attraction that offers various on-site accommodation such as a campsite and lodges.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Throughout the day, students were able to explore the facilities that the Mendip Activity Centre had to offer, but also learn how they make their accommodation inclusive to all guests and how they run the business as a whole.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Mendip Activity Centre works with many schools and education groups, as well as the public, to provide outdoor education and activities, from skiing and snowboarding, to archery and orienteering. The business has so much to offer and has gradually developed and expanded over time to form the multi-activity centre with on-site accommodation that they are today.&nbsp;</span></p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Travel and tourism learners posing with a worker at Mendip Activity Centre&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0581af49-f04b-429a-ba48-db3b102c3918" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;max_500x500&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_loading&quot;:{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;lazy&quot;}}">&nbsp;</drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">George Coombe, the head of business and growth at Mendip Activity Centre, talked to the learners about the business, explaining everything from their development as a business and marketing strategies, to their available activities and accommodation. He then took the students on a tour of the centre so they could see the facilities first-hand and answer any questions they had throughout the day.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Hannah Carstensen, one of our Business and Tourism lecturers at Weston College, said, “George was able to give an insight into the accommodation sector of Travel and Tourism which closely links to what we have been covering within class. Learners were able to see how a local business manages multiple different accommodation services and how they meet the needs of their guests.”&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Learners then had a game of frisbee golf that the Mendip Activity Centre offers as an activity which they enjoyed thoroughly and was a great way to end the day.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Overall, this trip provided our learners with real-life experience and gave them a comprehensive understanding of the industry's core principles, including customer service, destination knowledge, and the importance of sustainable tourism practices that the business developed overtime.&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Thank you to George Combes and the Mendip Activity Centre for having us and educating our learners on how they run a successful, local business.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; target="_blank">If you’re interested in applying to one of our Travel and Tourism courses in September, click here.</a><span style="font-size:inherit;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p><a href="https://www.visitsomerset.co.uk/">Visit Somerset</a> have given four of our <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave… and Tourism</a> learners the very exciting opportunity to work with a prestigious animation firm on a new concept alongside <a href="https://www.noahsarkzoofarm.co.uk/">Noah’s Ark Animal Park</a> in Wraxall. Weston College has had a strong partnership with Visit Somerset for a number of years and so have recruited these learners for a week of work experience, shadowing the team and helping with content creation for the project.</p><p>The team at Visit Somerset, consisting of John Turner (CEO), Toby Jones (Digital Manager), Maisy Hatcher (Social Media Manager) &amp; Libby James (Content Manager), held Dragon’s Den style interviews with the interested participants. The learners were encouraged to pitch themselves as a viable candidate for this placement opportunity; some even printed off their CVs for the interviewer's consideration.</p><p>Lynsey McKinstry, Business Partnership Manager at Weston College, commented: “Originally, 3 students were going to be considered but after the team from Visit Somerset met with everyone, they extended the opportunity to 4 learners due to their commitment on pitching for a place.</p><p>“Not only did the students deliver exceptional interviews, it was also a great experience for the two apprentices currently finishing their end point assessments.</p><p>“It’s incredible seeing these exciting projects open doors for our learners and allow them to experience first-hand what their future career may entail. We look forward to hearing how the students get on at Noah’s Ark and more exciting opportunities that will support not only the Travel and Tourism learners but across all our divisions where possible.”</p><p>Hannah Carstensen, the learner’s tutor, told us: “The learners have had a fantastic few days and have been able to put their Marketing knowledge from the classroom into practice. Hearing all the lovely comments from the Visit Somerset team has been so wonderful. Working with Visit Somerset will create so many opportunities for our Travel and Tourism learners moving forwards.”</p><p>John Turner, CEO of Visit Somerset, said: “The Visit Somerset team are honoured to have the opportunity to work alongside the Travel &amp; Tourism students at Weston College, giving the students more knowledge of how tourist attractions function and market to their target audiences. As the lucky four students embark on their journey with Visit Somerset at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, the students will shadow the Visit Somerset team to help them understand aspects of marketing. We’re very much looking forward to seeing the success of the project!”</p><p>Weston College and Visit Somerset are also proud to announce an extension of their already strong relationship, in a three-year partnership scheme to allow more students to gain access to these wonderful opportunities, and allow them to develop their employability skills for the future. Keep your eyes out for further news on this exciting venture!</p>