Creating brighter futures

Our T Level learners work incredibly hard balancing their industry placements and classroom studies, but a few select students were nominated by their lecturers on Results Day for going above and beyond and exceeding expectations throughout their first year of their T Level. 

We caught up with one student, Katherine, regarding how she found her first year of Design, Surveying and Planning in Construction T Level, how she balanced her placement and studies, and what she enjoyed and found challenging. 

During her first year, Katherine learnt many important and transferrable skills in both her placement and in the classroom, including knowledge of legislations and regulations, science building technology and construction maths, design, how to use Revit, and the commercial side to construction. This broadens her knowledge and skillset and means she’s not limited to what she works on during her placement. 

Her industry placement for both first and second year is a company called VolkerLaser, where she works on the refurbishment of the Newport Transporter Bridge. Over the 2 years, Katherine will complete a total of 315 hours at her industry placement, with the remaining hours of the T Level spent in the classroom. 

Out of all the skills and knowledge she acquired during the classroom section of her first year, Katherine found the Science and Building Technology part the most interesting as she “liked being challenged by the calculations in science”. Overall, however, she found that getting hands-on experience from her industry placement was the most fulfilling and engaging part to the T Level. 

However, Katherine did find some areas more challenging than others, such as the core exams and the employer set projects as these were stressful and required a lot of revision. Not only this, she also found presenting difficult, however this task benefitted her as it allowed her to create a “slightly calmer looking exterior when presenting” and develop her confidence and public speaking skills. 

Any problems that Katherine faced, she felt comfortable enough to ask for help. “The staff last year were really encouraging and supportive, if I had a problem, they did their best to help”. She also found that they were very understanding of her commute from South Wales. 

Katherine’s lecturers also spoke very highly of her and her performance throughout her first year of her T Level, saying “Katherine has had an extremely brilliant first year at Weston College. 

She has always produced a high standard of work and has good attendance and time keeping, despite having to take two trains to get to college from South Wales.  

Her attention to detail is of a very high standard and she is not afraid to ask questions if she doesn't understand something.” 

Many students wonder how to juggle the industry placement and their classroom studies, but Katherine found it a good balance, saying “it's been interesting to see how the classroom work begins to line up with some things I've learned on site”. You get the perfect blend of practical, hands-on experience that will prepare you for work after college but also the additional knowledge and information in the classroom that you may not get taught on the job. 

The facilities available at Weston College are also excellent for Katherine’s Construction T Level, “it's one of the factors that made my family and I decide that Weston College would be the best place for me to study construction”. 

When asked what she would say to someone considering a T Level, she said “I'd advise someone considering a T-Level to look into it carefully, make sure the course covers what you're interested in doing in the future.” Katherine also advised learners to make sure they consider their next steps before applying for a T Level because the curriculum is still fairly new to Further Education. 

Once Katherine completes her T Level, she hopes to go onto studying civil engineering either at university or in an apprenticeship. 

Good luck in your final year Katherine! 

If you would like to study a T Level at Weston College in September, click here. 

The College is proud to announce that Jason Selormey, our Lead Practitioner for ADHD, has been again selected to represent Great Britain in the upcoming American Football European Championship qualifiers. Jason’s journey in international football began when he was just 17, and being chosen to compete on this stage once again is an honour he values deeply.

When asked how he felt about being selected to represent Great Britain, Jason said, "I felt really proud. I’ve been fortunate enough to compete at the international level since I was 17, and it is always very special for me." His passion for the sport and pride in representing his country remains as strong as ever, even after years of playing at the highest level.

The upcoming qualifiers will see Jason and his teammates start against some of the toughest competition in Europe. They will play against Sweden in Carlstadt, followed by a home game against Germany in Coventry. Reflecting on the challenge, Jason commented, "Both are really top teams with professional leagues, so we have our work cut out for us, but we’ve prepared well. We’re excited to show what we can do on the international stage."

For Jason, playing for the national team carries personal significance. "Before I was first selected to the Under 19 programme, I had just lost my mother, so she never got to see me play internationally. Every time I get to play for GB, it feels that much more special. It’s my way of showing her that her youngest son is doing what he loves," he shared. Professionally, this experience also contributes valuable lessons. "It gives me amazing insights into collaboration, personality management, and handling nerves. Whenever I have to deliver a big presentation at work, I always say it feels just like preparing for a big game."

Jason's role as a Lead Practitioner for ADHD also complements his involvement in sports. "The two are closer than people think," he explained. "Both roles require the ability to adapt to challenges and rely on a high level of emotional intelligence. My job is almost practice for what I do on game day, and vice versa!"

The College community has rallied behind Jason, offering support in various ways. "I've told my faculty and a few colleagues about it, and they’ve been incredibly supportive. We had a team Kickstarter, and it was heart warming to see people from the College donate. Everyone’s been wishing me luck, and it’s really nice to feel that support."

As Jason approaches the final two games of his career, he reflects on the incredible journey it’s been. "These will be the last two games of my career. I’ve been playing the sport for half my life, and I’ve been fortunate enough to play it at the professional and international levels. I’m incredibly grateful."

For those who want to support Jason in his final games, here is a link to his GoFundMe page: Support Jason’s Journey.

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 here. 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.

This week, our Level 3 TV, Film & Creative Production students received a guest lecture from two members of the Production Management team at Wildstar Films, Sadie Coles and Miranda Pincott, who are also from Weston-Super-Mare.

During this informative talk, Sadie and Miranda went through their career paths that led them to production management, what the roles entail, the adventures and misadventures of the job, the career ladder of production management, and what other characteristics you need to work in film.

The components outlined in the talk helped the students gain a better understanding of different aspects of TV and film that they perhaps hadn’t considered, outside of the glamourous filming and directing itself, and allowed them to review possible career paths that often go unnoticed.

Wildstar Films is a production company that collaborates with National Geographic, Disney+, and DisneyNature to make “inspirational and ground-breaking shows about the natural world”. They have created many shows including 'Queens', 'Tiger', 'America’s National Parks', and many more, and have been nominated for a Wildscreen Panda Award for their Production Management Team in 'Queens'. They also have films in production that are due to come out on Disney+ in 2025 including the Sentient and Underdogs which is voiced over by Ryan Reynolds.

Production Management is a less well-known area of TV production as it consists of many factors that people don’t necessarily consider. These factors include travel, insurance, budget, permits, legal, visas, kit, fixers, crew contracts, and accommodation. These are all important logistics to consider when filming and production management must sort it all to ensure there are no obstacles when it comes to filming.

Like many jobs, there are challenges and mishaps that must be overcome when working in production management. This can be anywhere from forgetting equipment, to misinforming an airline of the amount kit being brought. However, the students were also shown the benefits of working in film, such as getting the opportunity to travel, getting nominated for awards, and even have the chance to work with celebrities like David Attenborough!

Lynsey, Strategic Partnership Manager at Weston College, who attended the talk, said “a big thank you to Wildstar Films, a very valued Career Excellence Hub partner for our Creative Media Faculty. Today, Miranda and Sadie delivered a superb guest lecture on campus to showcase production careers in natural geographic programming.

It was eye opening and awe inspiring, and hopefully will direct our learners into a potential career. The talented production teams behind these incredible programs provided our students with invaluable insights into the industry.”

Sadie and Miranda both started out low on the ladder, either as apprentices or volunteers, and worked their way up. Miranda is the Production Manager after 30 years in TV production, sharing her career progression with the students to let them know that it is commitment and hard work that will pay off in the end.

The overall message that Wildstar Films communicated to the students was that, to work in the film industry, you need to be prepared to start from the bottom and work your way up. You can’t go into it with the expectation that you’ll start at the top. Also, it is important to get work experience where you can, whether that is paid or volunteering, you need to show that you’re interested and committed to the role.

A massive thank you to Wildstar Films for their fantastic guest talk and for giving our Level 3 TV, Film & Creative Production students the chance to see an alternative film career pathway.

If you're interested in joining one of our Creative and Digital Media Courses in September, click here.