<p>The West of England Institute of Technology (WEIoT) has announced plans to expand its course offering to learners and employers across the region, through the opening of the Bristol Training Institute in central Bristol from September.</p>

<p>The WEIoT, a Weston College-led collaboration of regional education providers and employers, has a commitment to driving an increase in higher level technical skills in the region through high-quality training provision, working closely with industry to meet the evolving skills needs of employers.</p>

<p>With Bristol being one of the largest hubs for digital and professional services industries outside of London, the new centre, named as the Bristol Training Institute, will offer courses tailored to the specific needs of employers in the city region. The Bristol Training Institute will be based in the heart of the city at 12, Colston Avenue, the former office of the Bristol Law Society.</p>

<p>Courses available from September will include a brand new Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQ) in Computing (Software Engineering), Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship BSc (Hons), Computing Access to HE programme for those wishing to study at university, but currently do not have the qualifications to do so, and innovative Digital Skills Bootcamps for Coding (Python), Data (Azure) skills. In addition, recognising the need to upskill managers to drive digital change in organisations as they evolve, the centre will offer ILM Team Leading qualifications.</p>

<p>Accessibility is a focus of the WEIoT, which brings education providers together to deliver the skills required by employers. The development of the Bristol Training Institute, offering training based in central Bristol, will enable both learners and employers from across the city to access the unique industry-specific training, which will complement existing training provision in the city.</p>

<p>This new central Bristol location will witness a refurbishment to develop a state-of-the-art digital training hub across two floors, with three training rooms including a boardroom, and two conference training rooms all including smartboard facilities and laptop stations. The Institute will have a secure data connection, utilising high-quality digital technology resources to enable access to learning.</p>

<p>Sir Paul Phillips, Principal and CEO of the Weston College Group, who are also the lead College for the West of England Institute of Technology commented:</p>

<p>“The Bristol Training Institute marks another exciting development for the West of England Institute of Technology which is supporting a drive to increase the number of people engaged in higher level technical skills training, supporting learners in the region to secure and progress in high-quality jobs. Bristol has a strong demand for digital skills training, and we have worked with employers, key stakeholders and communities in the region to truly understand how the IoT can offer a training solution that complements existing provision in the city.</p>

<p>“The courses offered are based on what the economy and local communities need and our mission is that our students on completion of their programmes will have the best possible career prospects, whilst employers can benefit from a new talent pool, plus use the Institute as a way to develop and upskill their existing workforce.</p>

<p>“The Bristol Training Institute will be a destination to study in the heart of the city, and we wanted to ensure our logo emulated this, so we took a brand mark of the River Avon, alongside key Bristol landmarks and gave it a contemporary and professional look.”</p>

<p><img alt="Bristol Training Institute logo explained" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="52144df1-318a-4754-bf81-ee7fddfd4e85" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/BTI%20Logo%20Explainer.png" /></p>

<p>To find out more about what’s on offer please visit: <a href="http://www.bristol-training.co.uk">www.bristol-training.co.uk</a></p&gt;

<p>Last year we launched two free Digital Skills Bootcamps, as part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs.</p>

<p>The 12-week Bootcamp gave learners the opportunity to learn the skills needed by employers, to become a Coder or a Cloud Analyst – as well as connecting learners with local employers who were recruiting for these specific skills.</p>

<p>Due to popular demand, our FREE Digital Skills Bootcamps are back this year! Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/skills-bootcamps">here</a>&nbsp;to find out more information about what we're offering, with courses including <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/computing-and-… to Coding</a> and <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/computing-and-… with Data!</a></p>

<p>We caught up with Louise, who completed the Skills Bootcamp last year to become a Cloud Analyst.</p>

<p><strong>What were you doing before applying for the Digital Skills Bootcamp?</strong></p>

<p>My previous role was managing accounts payable team, but after being made redundant I wanted to learn new skills and try something a little bit different.</p>

<p><strong>What have you learnt on the course?</strong></p>

<p>I learnt the fundamentals of cloud technology but also it covered data structures and how different data is ingested and stored. We were supported by a great teacher as well, who made it easy for us to learn and put our theory into practice.</p>

<p><strong>How will this benefit you in your career?</strong></p>

<p>This new knowledge has given me a good grounding to support the azure cloud-based software, especially as databases underpin all software. When a bug is raised, I can also look to automate testing and new processes or scripts when required.</p>

<p><strong>What was the highlight of the course?</strong></p>

<p>The Bootcamp was great, it taught me lots of new skills which will benefit me as mentioned previously, but my personal highlight was passing first time.</p>

<p><strong>What has happened after completing the course?</strong></p>

<p>I have started a new job with Zahara software - cloud based purchasing software. I’m second line support but they are training me up to do dev ops (MS Azure).</p>

<p><strong>How did the Bootcamp set you up for a change in job?</strong></p>

<p>The course helped me understand cloud technology foundations and gave me the spark to further my knowledge.</p>

<p><strong>What would you say to someone considering studying on this Bootcamp?</strong></p>

<p>My advice to anyone doing the course, is to make the time to study and be focused. Do as many mock exams as possible and practise in the labs. Take full advantage of the teacher and ask as many questions as possible.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/skills-bootcamps">Don't forget to check out and sign up for our Free Digital Skills Bootcamps here!</a></p>

<p>Earlier this year Weston College launched Constructing Lives Together in partnership with construction firm, Willmott Dixon, to support local adults in entering the construction industry and it is proving to be successful.</p>

<p>The exciting new initiative is something which is really benefiting the community. Not only are local people gaining the training required to enter the industry through short and sharp courses delivered onsite, but local construction firms are able to access a brand-new stream of employees – a well needed boost for construction employers, with the well reported skills shortages within the sector.</p>

<p>The initiative which is supporting people across the South West is being funded by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).</p>

<p>The free courses provide candidates with:</p>

<ul>
<li>Re-employment skills</li>
<li>Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) certificates across a range of disciplines&nbsp;</li>
<li>Health and Safety in a Construction Environment Level 1&nbsp;</li>
<li>Work experience</li>
</ul>

<p>One employer that has utilised the support of Constructing Lives Together, is Weston based Apache Construction. Director, Ryan Hedges, commented: “During the pandemic we lost some key workers, and we recognised that there was a gap in the market for reliable and like-minded staff. We got in touch with Weston College, who have supported us since we launched, and decided to get involved with the Constructing Lives Together programme.</p>

<p>“The programme has been fantastic for us. We have hired three people full-time in the last three months, all coming through the programme. Each recruit has been a real breath of fresh air for the organisation and are really supporting us with filling our skills gaps.</p>

<p>“It has offered us the opportunity to interview people practically, and has opened a brand-new talent pool, with our recruits hitting the ground running!”</p>

<p><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/ConstructingLivesTogether">Find out more about Constructing Lives Together, and how it can support you by clicking here.</a></p>

<p>Hear from each of the three successful Apache Construction recruits, in the video below.</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z0Dpqytplxg&quot; title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>