<p>Construction company, Hydrock, visited South West Skills Campus last week to engage with learners studying on the T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning in Construction.</p><p>The day was packed with activities, which gave learners the opportunity to test their skills with activities like planning a new sustainable town, as well as gain top tips for their future endeavours with CV reviews and mock interviews.</p><p>Learners also heard from former T Level learner, and current Hydrock employee, Ben, who inspired the learners with his story – having been sat in that very room just 12 months ago.</p><p>Ben spoke about his T Level placement with Hydrock, working 315 hours and managing to gain employment on the back of his course, with a Degree Apprenticeship through University Centre Weston.</p><p>Engaging with employers forms part of the Construction Careers Excellence Hub. Weston College's Career Excellence Hubs are designed to be the launching pad for our learners' careers. In a world where connections and relevant skills matter more than ever, these hubs offer a holistic approach that prepares learners to thrive in their chosen industries. With the support of these hubs, our learners are well-equipped to make a significant impact in their professional journeys.</p><p>Daniel Comerford, Construction Professions Lecturer at Weston College said: “We were delighted to welcome Hydrock last week, and it was great to see Ben as well.</p><p>“Our learners found the whole day really beneficial, and left feeling inspired – which is what the Career Excellence Hub in Construction is all about!”</p><p><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/const… can find out about our construction courses, by clicking here.</a></p><p><strong>If you are passionate about education and are looking for an opportunity to join the staff team at a leading college, then look at the latest job vacancies available at Weston College </strong><a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/jobs?utm_source=main-menu&amp;utm_medium=main-…;. You can find all the latest job opportunities that Weston College has to offer, with a commitment to providing quality education for learners and a focus on continuous professional development for staff, Weston College is an excellent place to work and grow in your career.</strong></p>

<p paraeid="{f7ad6e6b-d2de-4b2a-9c50-4914888f717d}{173}" paraid="358692308"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/t-lev… Levels</a> are the future of technical education, designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical workplace experience. These two-year courses offer students a unique opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and skills that are directly relevant to their chosen industry. At Weston College, there are 13 different T Level courses on offer, spanning from Education &amp; Early Years to Engineering &amp; Manufacturing, and Construction, plus many more.&nbsp;</p><p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{d1e3f33c-a504-4213-a121-176adac6f69f}{198}" paraid="1021031470" xml:lang="EN-GB">Weston College are the largest provider of T Levels in the region, and on results day in August, an 100% pass rate was achieved by our learners.</p><p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{d1e3f33c-a504-4213-a121-176adac6f69f}{136}" paraid="93378299" xml:lang="EN-GB">One of the standout features of T Levels is the industry placement, which plays a pivotal role in enhancing the learner's understanding of the real-world workplace. There are a huge number of benefits of industry placements, and the results show a positive impact on the employers and their business.&nbsp;</p><p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{2e9d0184-6e3f-4593-9f87-30f169c41c13}{131}" paraid="98929983" xml:lang="EN-GB">T Levels are tailored to the specific needs of industries and provide students with a deep understanding of their chosen field. When businesses host T Level learners for industry placements, they contribute to the development of a more skilled and job-ready workforce. Employers can actively shape the future workforce by imparting industry-specific knowledge and skills to the next generation. Some of the fantastic employers we already work with include national employers such as the NHS, regional employers such as Wessex Water, and local SMEs. These employers have recognised the untapped talent that can be provided to the business, and were first in line to experience it.&nbsp;</p><p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{528fb079-07ee-4d12-a521-e3540f283e6a}{194}" paraid="179438224" xml:lang="EN-GB">One example is one of the largest financial employers in the UK, who had five T Level students on placement last year. The students made such a positive impression that the employer has given four of those students a job offer to work for them when they finish their course. That’s proof that T Levels work. &nbsp;</p><p paraeid="{f7ad6e6b-d2de-4b2a-9c50-4914888f717d}{197}" paraid="1077270212">Recruiting and training new employees can be an expensive and time-consuming process. When businesses provide T Level learners with industry placements, they are effectively getting to know potential future employees. This hands-on experience allows employers to assess the learner's aptitude, work ethic, and compatibility with the company culture. This reduces the risk of making poor hiring decisions and can ultimately lead to cost savings in recruitment and training.&nbsp;</p><p paraeid="{f7ad6e6b-d2de-4b2a-9c50-4914888f717d}{209}" paraid="93311631">T Level learners bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to businesses. They often have a strong theoretical foundation and can apply their classroom knowledge to real-world situations. Employers benefit from the infusion of new ideas and approaches, which can lead to improved processes, products, or services.&nbsp;</p><p paraeid="{f7ad6e6b-d2de-4b2a-9c50-4914888f717d}{221}" paraid="889881968">Students on industry placements are highly motivated to learn and make a positive impression. Employers often find that T Level learners contribute to increased productivity by taking on tasks and projects with enthusiasm. Their energy and eagerness to learn can inspire and motivate existing employees, creating a positive work environment.&nbsp;</p><p paraeid="{f7ad6e6b-d2de-4b2a-9c50-4914888f717d}{233}" paraid="1623215501">Hosting T Level learners on industry placements is an excellent way to identify and nurture potential talent for the future. Businesses can establish a pipeline of skilled and knowledgeable workers who are already familiar with their operations and industry. This can lead to more seamless onboarding and faster integration of new employees when they transition from students to full-time workers.&nbsp;</p><p paraeid="{4a9d7ef4-b22c-4120-962c-4235d62f3f21}{14}" paraid="1889619579">T Levels offer substantial advantages to both businesses and learners. By providing industry placements to T Level learners, employers can help shape a skilled and job-ready workforce, reduce recruitment costs, introduce fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, enhance productivity, create a talent pipeline, contribute to corporate social responsibility, and align with government initiatives.&nbsp;</p><p paraeid="{4a9d7ef4-b22c-4120-962c-4235d62f3f21}{20}" paraid="1336733345">The positive impact of T Levels on businesses is a win-win scenario, benefiting both employers and the future workforce. Encouraging more employers to pledge to have T Level learners on placement with them is not just a sound business decision but also a valuable investment in the growth and prosperity of industries and communities.&nbsp;</p><p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{bd22e4d6-9b52-48b1-b462-36374c5714aa}{5}" paraid="580682461" xml:lang="EN-GB">Throughout the month of November, we have set ourselves the challenge of receiving 150 T Level pledges from business owners and employers just like you. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to change the future of your business through an industry placement -<a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/30DayChallenge?utm_source=homepage-header&amp;… here to find out more.</a>&nbsp;</p><p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{05caa81c-c746-402a-993b-4c9ff4f6fd01}{85}" paraid="562521164" xml:lang="EN-GB">We look forward to working with you!&nbsp;</p><p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{05caa81c-c746-402a-993b-4c9ff4f6fd01}{250}" paraid="334584571" xml:lang="EN-GB">Dave Crew, Head of Business Growth &amp; Employer Partnerships&nbsp;</p>

<p>We recently caught up with Maria, a talented second year student currently studying T Level Production Design and Development.</p><p>Maria began her journey at Weston college with the T Level Computing and Digital technical progression programme which provided her the opportunity to develop skills such as teamworking, basic python coding and website deigning. Maria stated that the level two technical progression programme helped ‘develop her skills and understanding of programming’ and ‘gave her an insight about the technical and non-technical skills that she needed to develop further’.</p><p>Moving onto the T Level Digital Production Design and Development Maria continued her excellence, especially when completing her industry placement. Her determination and passion drove her to be the first student to complete all the industry placement hours working on PHP development systems. Her hard work was reflected with excellent feedback from her industry placement employer.</p><p>Maria decided on studying a T Level due to the 315 hours of industry placement offered, which she realised would allow her to gain knowledge and experience to help her continue into either a skilled job, higher apprenticeship or university. Maria found her T Level ‘fun, and not as difficult or stressful as it might seem’, she also thoroughly enjoyed when she got to create her own website from scratch.</p><p>The Digital Production Design and Development T Level, is a two year course based at Knightstone campus. The T Level is designed and developed in collaboration with employers, which allows students to have a mixture of classroom learning and work-based experience to help build technical skills to kick start your career into the digital sector. Studying this course means you will be apart of our computing and IT career excellence hub, as well as provided with the opportunity to join our esports academy!</p><p>Throughout the T Level Maria has grown in both confidence and knowledge, and her tutor is confident she will continue this trend and become an invaluable member of any team within the industry. After completing her course, Maria hopes to take a gap year to develop her skills further and the progress onto a higher apprenticeship!</p><p>We wish you the best of luck Maria!</p>