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>To celebrate Hospitality Apprenticeships Week, we caught up with Dan Flannagan from the Liberation Group (one of our brand new Hospitality Career Excellence Hub endorsers), to get his thoughts on the sector, and how Weston College is supporting them.</p>
<p><strong>Who are the Liberation Group (Butcombe)?</strong></p>
<p><em>Butcombe are an award-winning range of pubs, bars and hotels with our own brewery that creates a fantastic range of stunning ales, lagers and IPA’s. Our pubs are food led, having won the prestigious Best Food Offering Award at the National Publican Awards 2 years running. We have an emphasis on local produce and everything we make is made from scratch, with no corners cut!</em></p>
<p><strong>What challenges have you been facing over the last 18 months?</strong></p>
<p><em>Like any Hospitality business, we have had a tough time with the closures of our pubs. Everything we do is geared towards providing a great customer experience and we have really missed seeing our customers happy. We have had some challenges around recruitment but are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel and believe that relationships with organisations such as Weston College will provide us with access to the next wave of talent in the industry.</em></p>
<p><strong>Have you faced a skills shortage?</strong></p>
<p><em>Our Back of House teams (kitchens) have faced the largest challenge in terms of recruitment.</em></p>
<p><strong>How have you managed to combat these challenges?</strong></p>
<p><em>We have created and rolled out a range of innovative solutions to help us address the recruitment challenge and believe that our best solution will always be to work with local colleges, charities and organisations that can help us identify, recruit and train the future stars of the business.</em></p>
<p><strong>Why did you choose to work with Weston College?</strong></p>
<p><em>We are proud of our Somerset roots and having grown our business in this area, a relationship with Weston College seemed a natural step. Weston has a superb set up and we firmly believe that our future partnership will provide a huge benefit to both parties.</em></p>
<p><strong>If you were starting in the sector now, what advice would they give to that young person?</strong></p>
<p><em>I started myself in the hospitality when I was 16 years old in a hotel in Bristol and would say to anyone looking for a career in the industry, enjoy it! Try and absorb everything you learn from your college, work placements and if you work in the industry, listen and learn from Head Chefs, General Managers etc. It is easy in this industry to learn as people genuinely want to share their knowledge and help you develop.</em></p>
<p>If you'd like to enter the hospitality industry, you can study a course with us. Click on the link relevant link, below.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/hospi… courses</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/apprenticeships?utm_source=ma…;
<li><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults?utm_source=mai… courses</a></li>
<li>Find out about <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/career-excellence-hubs">Career Excellence Hubs</a></li>
</ul>
<p>As a Chef Apprentice you have access to an exciting masterclass programme, giving you the essential chef skills. Masterclasses are delivered monthly by industry professionals including producers and artisans including expert guest bakers, butchers and fishmongers.</p>
<p>Today's Chef apprentice masterclass is led by Christopher Hayes from the Stable, who are one of our <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/career-excellence-hubs">Career Excellence Hub</a> endorsers, and will guide the apprentices through cooking pan-fried steak in garlic and tyme with a béarnaise sauce, triple cooked chips and tenderstem broccoli in a chilli and roasted garlic butter.</p>
<p>Chris has been a chef and worked in hospitality for twenty years. He told us:</p>
<p>"I didn’t grow up wanting to be a chef, I knew how to cook a little as I grew up in a big family and we sat down together for dinner every night and all chipped in. I grew up wanting to be an artist and to do something creative. After leaving school I was offered a few apprenticeships but decided to take a year out and live in and work at a country hotel. They wanted to put me through my GNVQ, which I accepted, because I’d become attracted to lifestyle.</p>
<p>“After qualifying, I got a paid position as a Commis Chef in a renowned hotel, this is where my passion was lit, this is where I looked at chefs with respect and realised the talent and determination you need to be successful.</p>
<p>“It truly blew my mind, when on my first day a chef asked me to “knock some pasta up” which I thought was a first day prank - you buy pasta it’s dry, why do you need a machine to shape it? From that day I’ve never looked back. Every day there was something new to learn, thirty chefs all cool and calm doing things with food that I couldn’t even comprehend as possible!</p>
<p>“My creative itch was being scratched, I was earning some money and my eyes had been opened by some amazing people at what is possible and achievable in this industry.</p>
<p>“From those years of hard work, dedication and commitment, doors began to open and I have been fortunate enough to cook at so many places for so many different people.</p>
<p>“I got to find my own style and develop my own ideas on what hospitality and food should be. I’ve changed my own mind on who chefs really are and what is possible.</p>
<p>“I’ve developed interpersonal skills, ethics, manners and friendships all working in a kitchen. I’ve shared my knowledge and skills with others, worked as a team, put others before myself, accepted other personalities, received the best training. I’m still learning today and still excited by what is possible.”</p>
<p>Find out more about being a Chef Apprentice:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/hospi… and Apprenticeships</a> for school leavers</li>
<li>Next <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/news-and-events/events">open event</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/event/hospitality-apprenticeships-week">Hospit… apprenticeships week</a> #MoreThanAJob</li>
</ul>
<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{1e8b9452-d5c9-4b44-b12e-4464f0e453f0}{155}" paraid="837433930" xml:lang="EN-GB">Weston College and University Centre Weston alumni Jack Kimmins is proving his amazing talents in computing as he is selected for the finals of the WorldSkills national competition. </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{3e894158-dc2d-47b1-ad8f-696acda90106}{212}" paraid="333486024" xml:lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.worldskillsuk.org/">WorldSkills UK</a> is an independent charity that works with employers, education and governments, supporting young people across the world via competitions-based training, testing their ability to achieve world-class standards in the biennial ‘skills olympics’. </p>
<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{57e2f1d7-18cc-4ac5-bcc2-25d6a27d09bb}{76}" paraid="1320591153" xml:lang="EN-GB">Over 3,000 people registered to take part in the UK-wide competitions in March 2021 and Jack is one of 400 who made it into the finals, which is split into 64 disciplines.</p>
<p>Jack is competing in the Web Design category which is to take place in Weston-super-Mare, hosted by Weston College.</p>
<p>Talking about the selection process, Jack commented: "To get into the finals, I first had to make it into the semi-finals, which involved creating a suitable website design that met a predefined client's brief. Then, to qualify for the national finals, I had to build a website using HTML and CSS that met specific requirements and that was based upon a website wireframe design."</p>
<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{a3f7ba3c-a6a6-4e68-b420-848930eec348}{144}" paraid="977226024" xml:lang="EN-GB">The College will host the prestigious WorldSkills UK National Web Design Competition from Wednesday 17<sup>th</sup> November – Friday 19<sup>th</sup> November, with the winners being crowned at a ceremony hosted by TV presenter Steph McGovern from her Packed Lunch studio on Friday 26 November. </p>
<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{a918904d-3de7-4241-a373-3eb573130dcf}{186}" paraid="736473802" xml:lang="EN-GB">This exciting announcement is just one of the fantastic career enhancing opportunities available at the college, through the newly launched <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwesto…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Career Excellence Hubs.</a> </p>
<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{a918904d-3de7-4241-a373-3eb573130dcf}{189}" paraid="1159169574" xml:lang="EN-GB">At the College each subject area forms its own specific Career Excellence Hub, endorsed by relevant sector employers which help to create a study programme with lots of career boosting benefits, WorldSkills competing opportunities is one of these.</p>
<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{a918904d-3de7-4241-a373-3eb573130dcf}{189}" paraid="1159169574" xml:lang="EN-GB">Jack continued: "The support that I have been provided throughout my journey with WorldSkills has been excellent. I have attended every meeting and practice session available to me, which has enabled me to focus on the distinct details of the competition.</p>
<p>"I'm very proud that I have made it this far in the competition and to represent my university in the national finals.</p>
<p>"This opportunity has enabled me to expand my knowledge and practical abilities with web development. It is also given me more self-trust in my abilities, as it being a competition, the nature of it requires you to have a degree of confidence in your skills to be successful in it."</p>
<p>We wish Jack the very best of luck with the finals and continuing to succeed with his Masters degree. A <em>very</em> bright future ahead!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="www.weston.ac.uk/computing">Click here to read more about our Computing and IT department, including the Career Excellence Hubs</a></p>
<p><a href="https://weston.ac.uk/news/congratulations-our-worldskills-uk-national-f… here to read more about our other WorldSkills Finalists</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{a3f7ba3c-a6a6-4e68-b420-848930eec348}{144}" paraid="977226024" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </p>
