Weston College Open Welding Facility
As part of the investment from the Department for Education, Weston College has opened a £650k brand-new facility, dedicated to welding, at their South West Skills Campus. The funding has been made available through the College being the lead partner on the West of England Institute of Technology (WEIoT).
The development of the new welding facility has been in response to the growing demand from employers both locally and regionally for apprentices to train in welding and fabrication; as well as local adults wanting to upskill in an area that has seen an increased demand in the local region.
As part of its commitment to sustainability and cost reduction, the centre also includes a ‘virtual welder’ simulation which allows students to learn basic techniques without wasting gases or metals as part of the initial training, reducing costs and waste.
There are a real range of courses and apprenticeships available in the new building, from introductory short courses for adults, from Level 1, 2 and 3 courses for people entering the industry and expanding their knowledge and skills.
Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College Group, said: “This new centre shows our commitment to local employers, by creating a training facility that meets the demand of industry.
“It is a really exciting facility, as we will offering training not only for the traditional 16-19 year old courses, but also an offer for adults through evening courses and also from September on a Saturday, to support the retraining and upskilling of the local community.
“We also work with engineering and aerospace companies across the region, to provide them with apprentices, and this new facility offers apprentices the opportunity to complete welding training across each of the key welding processes of MIG, TIG and MMA welding.”
If you’re aged 16-19, you can find Weston College’s engineering courses, here.
If you’re an adult and want to upskill or retrain, you can find the Welding Skills Introduction course, here.
