Programmes for School Leavers
Courses for 16 to 18-year-olds
COURSES FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS
With hundreds of unique, exciting and inspiring programmes to choose from, everything you need to create your brighter future is waiting for you at Weston College.
From the minute you walk through the door, the experience and the environment that we create is all about maximising your potential. It’s about preparing and motivating you for a fresh and focused career pathway.
Every Weston College student becomes part of one of our exciting new Career Excellence Hubs. This means you will take part in a study programme with lots of career boosting benefits, all with the aim of help you to go further, giving you the opportunity to become career ready with the skills, knowledge and expertise you need to be successful in your next step and reach your ultimate goal - whatever that may be!
Whether you are looking for the next step after school or the next step in your career, we're bound to have a programme for you. Take a look below at the different types of qualifications available for school leavers and young people between 16 and 18 years old.
Did you know we also run English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)?
Start your brighter future by selecting a subject you're interested in below, and don't forget - you can apply online and it only takes 5 minutes!
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Qualifications Explained
At Weston College we know that everyone learns differently. That’s why we deliver a variety of different qualification types - to give you the chance to learn in the way that suits you the most.
A Levels
A Levels develop the knowledge, skills and study habits to excel at university, as well as the attributes recognised by employers. Your academic studies will be complemented with enrichment opportunities such as trips, mentoring and work experience, providing the perfect springboard for your future career. A Levels are assessed through exams at the end of two years of study. Most learners study three subjects - some choose four.
Apprenticeships
With an apprenticeship you’ll go straight into the workplace and be shown clear routes to progress straight into employment within a specific occupation. You can achieve nationally recognised qualifications, earn a wage, and gain skills that will see you get ahead. On average you will spend 20% of your learning time in the college and 80% within the workplace..
Professional and Technical Qualifications
Professional and technical qualifications are designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to gain employment within specific industries or occupations. They provide a balance between theory and practical skills development. They are suited to those who want to get hands-on experience within a particular vocational area. These programmes include work placements. Assessment is more varied and will include exams, coursework and practical work.
Traineeships
Traineeships are a great way for 16 to 24-year-olds who haven’t yet gained the skills and experiences necessary to apply for jobs and apprenticeships. They are taught mostly in the workplace and include a mixture of personal and social development, and employability skills. The aim of a traineeship is to train you within a company so that you are more likely to be offered an apprenticeship or a job.
T Levels give you the chance to learn what a real career is like while you continue your studies. T Levels have been designed with leading businesses and employers to give you the knowledge and skills you need, including a minimum of 45 days on an industry placement – this means you will spend 80% of your learning time in College and 20% within the workplace.
CHOOSING WHAT TO STUDY
We are all about CAREERS NOT COURSES and pride ourselves on being able to offer a huge range of programmes to ensure you develop the skills and knowledge employers and universities are looking for. As the only education provider in North Somerset that enables you to work your way up from an entrylevel programme to a degree, we’re here to help you choose the right programme for you.
We can help you choose your study programme or apprenticeship by accessing the following support:
School Liaison Team
Working with local schools we help you find out about college life and programmes of study, and we provide you with advice and guidance about what programmes will best suit you. We will either visit your school, attend careers fairs and parents’ evenings or coordinate campus and virtual events such as our taster days, holiday workshops and tours.
Events
We put on a number of events over the year, which will be a mixture of face-to-face and virtual events. These provide you and your family with the opportunity to explore our facilities, speak to our lecturers, find out about the support on offer and choose the right programme for you. Our events also give you the opportunity to engage with a number of employers to find out about careers in their industry and why they value the calibre of candidates that come from Weston College.
CAREERS ADVICE
- On our website you can access a wealth of career guidance, such as:
- All the programmes you can study.
- What our alumni have gone on to achieve.
- Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) that will help explain what relevant careers and jobs are available, including salaries.
- NEW – Subject careers roadmaps, so you can map your journey with us and ensure it will get you into your chosen career. Also, check out Career Coach - this provides you with the opportunity to:
- Take an assessment that matches you with careers.
- Explore broad career pathways that match your strengths and interests.
- Compare careers within a pathway - including salaries, required education and more.
- Explore our programmes that will set you on the path to your desired career.
- Take a career assessment - and receive an in-depth report that can help you identify the best programme and career path for you!
We’re here and happy to help – if you would like more advice and guidance, contact our school liaison team by emailing schoolteam@weston.ac.uk. - they you can arrange a one-to-one careers appointment with our specialist staff.
LATEST NEWS
<p>85 learners from <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/cours… Learning</a> have participated in the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Duke of Edinburgh award. Each award has three aspects: volunteering, learning a new skill, and sport activities - as well as a hiking expedition in teams.</p>
<p>The Duke of Edinburgh was particularly popular this year, as it allowed learners to get active outdoors with their friends – something they missed during the pandemic.</p>
<p>19 DofE expeditions have run from May till June, involving the learners undertaking the award. These expeditions consisted of walking 6 hours, and up to 10 miles a day over the Mendip hills.</p>
<p>It wasn’t an easy expedition either, with constantly changing conditions, which included braving extreme heart and rain to complete the hike, but found music, singing, and general high spirits were the keys to keeping the enthusiasm high.</p>
<p>All the learners completed the expedition with smiles on their faces and great comradery, each demonstrating great pride in achieving the widely recognised award.</p>
<p>We asked some of the young people who took part in the expedition. One learner said:</p>
<p>“The expedition has been so fun, and challenging at times. On the first day I struggled with my health, but other than that it’s been great fun. we played uno, and roasted marshmallows which was fun for everyone.”</p>
<p>Another learner commented:</p>
<p>“I’ve found the expedition challenging because of the heat and the distance on day 2. What has been good in the expedition was being able to have breaks on the long distance walks and having music on the walks and being with the team and getting through it together”</p>
<p>We’re so proud of all our learners who completed the Duke of Edinburgh award, and we hope you find the skills you developed highly beneficial to your future.</p>
<p paraeid="{c513bbb9-660c-417d-94c7-fbae0ed0d06f}{186}" paraid="1958389261">From September 2022, Weston College are welcoming school leavers to study the brand-new Business T Level programme. T Levels offer a mixture of both college and work-based learning which has been designed to give learners the technical skills and workplace experience to kick-start their career. The new programmes are developed in collaboration with employers and providers so that the content meets the needs of the industry. </p>
<p paraeid="{c513bbb9-660c-417d-94c7-fbae0ed0d06f}{196}" paraid="736843707">The two year Business T Level course is the equivalent to three A Levels, and will provide students with an understanding of a broad range of issues relevant to the sector, including; an overview of organisational cultures and values, stakeholders, governance and the impact of organisations on society and the environment; project and change management; business behaviours including communication; quality improvement and compliance in all aspects of public and private sector organisations. </p>
<p paraeid="{c513bbb9-660c-417d-94c7-fbae0ed0d06f}{246}" paraid="127291444">Those joining the college in September will get to experience the brand-new facilities including an industry standard business boardroom with the latest technology and a brand-new workspace. </p>
<p paraeid="{229d2a7d-06cb-4a41-9841-cabd77be49ee}{7}" paraid="1060651400">Employers across the country are recognising how important T Levels are going to be, especially in their plans for developing their future work force. NatWest Bank has pledged their support of the new Business T Level course at Weston College by shaping the curriculum, providing business skills training to students, and highlighting the benefits of employers hosting industry work placements through their regional employer network. </p>
<p paraeid="{229d2a7d-06cb-4a41-9841-cabd77be49ee}{27}" paraid="631591141">NatWest’s support of the Weston College T Level course is aligned to their mission to be a purpose-led bank and champion the potential of people, families, and businesses across the UK, focusing on the areas which can have the biggest positive impacts across society. </p>
<p paraeid="{229d2a7d-06cb-4a41-9841-cabd77be49ee}{41}" paraid="491313287">Elly Rowley, NatWest Regional Ecosystem Manager for the South-West said; “Through partnerships and resources, we are committed to supporting the business success stories of the future and are pleased to be working with Weston College on the introduction of their new Business T Level course.” </p>
<p paraeid="{229d2a7d-06cb-4a41-9841-cabd77be49ee}{49}" paraid="1997028666"> “We look forward to meeting and inspiring these future business leaders and being part of the curriculum through this exciting T Level partnership, which Weston College have been working closely with employers and industry on." </p>
<p paraeid="{229d2a7d-06cb-4a41-9841-cabd77be49ee}{55}" paraid="1868081809">Dave Crew, Head of Business Growth & Employer Partnerships at Weston College said; “T Levels are the future of college-based technical education, and we’re committed to developing our curriculum with employers to create a work-ready pipeline of talent for our region. NatWest are a key partner for the College, and we’re delighted to be working together to create a challenging and engaging programme of skills training for our Business T Level course, as we create the business leaders of the future.” </p>
<p paraeid="{229d2a7d-06cb-4a41-9841-cabd77be49ee}{55}" paraid="1868081809"> </p>
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<p paraeid="{229d2a7d-06cb-4a41-9841-cabd77be49ee}{69}" paraid="1042316832"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/t-lev…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Find out more about T Levels here.</a> </p>
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<p paraeid="{229d2a7d-06cb-4a41-9841-cabd77be49ee}{77}" paraid="1078019791"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Learn more and apply now for the Business, Management and Leadership T Level.</a> </p>
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<p paraeid="{229d2a7d-06cb-4a41-9841-cabd77be49ee}{85}" paraid="1786362817"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Learn more and apply now for the Accounting T Level.</a> </p>
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<p>The Faculty of Inclusive Practice and the <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/supporting-you/careers-advice">Careers Team</a> at Weston College have created a “Jobs Club” for learners with<a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/cours…; Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND)</a>.</p>
<p>This innovative venture supports learners, helping them to get ‘Into Work’ with practical preparation for job placements and future career path planning. The aim of this club was to also build the learners confidence; using a range of resources to help them recognise their skills, personalities, and interests, and how to highlight these to potential employers and relate them to jobs they would be suited for.</p>
<p>The group of 12 students benefitted from 7 sessions which included uplifting group discussions about self-evaluation and how to apply their skills and personality traits to the working world. Interactive quizzes proved to be an amazingly effective way to engage the learners and give them an insight into what different jobs entail and what employers are looking for.</p>
<p>On completion of the career boosting club, each learner received a certificate, which was presented by College Careers Advisor Sally Bebb and Weston College Group Principal and Chief Executive Sir Paul Phillips KBE, to celebrate the skills developed over the sessions.</p>
<p>Sir Paul Phillips added: <em>“Here at Weston College, we continue to champion the phrase ‘Careers, not courses’. Whatever their level, age, background or circumstance, all learners who study with us here progress with the tools to succeed in the workplace. I’m extremely proud of our Inclusive Practice department and initiatives such as this further support why we are recognised nationally as a SEND Centre of Excellence.”</em></p>
<p>There was a wide range of skills that were improved over the sessions, the main skill being the ability for the learners to describe their attributes and how they used them effectively in given examples. This helped the members of the club to build their confidence when talking about themselves and what qualities they could bring to the workplace.</p>
<p>The building of these skills was very beneficial, as the learners from Jobs Club are progressing onto many future paths: 3 learners have secured Apprenticeships with their employers, 3 learners will be completing traineeships with the police, and five learners have stepped into the workplace, in sustainable paid employment, within the sectors of warehouse, retail, horticulture and lunch time supervisors.</p>
<p>Sally Bebb, from the careers team, said: <em>“We would definitely love to run the Jobs Club again as it was so beneficial to the learners, and has been a hugely enjoyable experience with a great cohort. We all loved seeing how each of the learners have built their confidence when discussing their future career prospects.”</em></p>
<p>Congratulations to all of the learners on their fantastic achievements!</p>
