Welcome to the April Edition of the Careers and Employability Team Blog! 

As we move into April, our focus remains on supporting our learners to develop their skills, understand their pathways, and make progress toward meaningful destinations.

Careers Café Success! 

Our recent Careers Café sessions have been a great success, giving students the chance to drop in, chat informally, and get personalised guidance from our Careers Coordinators. The relaxed café-style setting has made it easier for students to ask questions, explore their ideas, and build confidence around their next steps. 

We’ve loved seeing so many students take the opportunity to talk through courses, apprenticeships, work experience, CVs, and future goals. The Careers Coordinators have been on hand throughout, offering tailored advice and helping students understand the wide range of pathways available. 

A huge well done to every student who came along - your enthusiasm and curiosity made each session lively and meaningful. And thank you to our brilliant Careers Coordinators for creating such a supportive and welcoming space. 

A reminder that our Careers drop-ins take place every week. 

All drop-in sessions take place between 12:15pm and 1:15pm on the following days and locations

• Loxton Library: Every Tuesday 
• South West Skills Campus Library: Every Wednesday 
• Knightstone Library: Every Thursday  

Celebrating Our CV Competition: Over 65 Impressive Entries and Valuable Feedback Ahead 

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm and hard work students put into our CV Competition. With more than 65 entries submitted, this has been one of our most successful competitions yet — and the standard has been incredibly high. 

What made this competition especially exciting was seeing the range of experiences, career ambitions, and personal stories reflected in the submissions. Whether students were applying for part-time roles, apprenticeships, internships, or their dream future careers, each CV showed genuine effort and growth. 

What Happens Next? 

Our team is now carefully reviewing every CV. Because we want this competition to be a meaningful learning experience for everyone involved, we’ll be offering individualised feedback to all entrants and will be announcing the winners as soon as possible.

From Industry Placement to Degree Apprenticeship: A T-Level Success Story 

This term, we’re celebrating an inspiring achievement from one of our T Level students from Business and Administration, who has shown exactly where hard work, determination, and high-quality industry experience can lead. 

As part of his T Level programme, Thomas completed a 10-week industry placement with Lloyds Bank in Bristol alongside other students from Weston College. Throughout the placement, he demonstrated professionalism, enthusiasm, and a real willingness to learn - qualities that made a strong impression on the team at Lloyds. 

His strong performance opened an exciting door: an invitation to apply for Lloyds Bank’s competitive Degree Apprenticeship programme. Rising to the challenge, Thomas completed each stage of the application process, including attending a full assessment centre alongside candidates from across the region. His hard work paid off - he successfully secured a place on the Degree Apprenticeship, starting this September. 

This fantastic achievement highlights the value of T-Level industry placements in giving students real-world experience, industry insight, and, in some cases, a direct pathway into long term career opportunities. We’re incredibly proud of their journey and wish him continued success as he embarks on this next exciting chapter with Lloyds Bank.

Key Dates: 

Thursday 9th April 2026 - Weston Jobs Fair

Tuesday 14th April 2026 - Knightstone Campus Half-Term Workshops

Wednesday 15th April 2026 - Loxton Campus Half-Term Workshops

Wednesday 22nd April 2026 - Engineering Fast Track Event

Get in touch with the Careers and Employability Team, by clicking here. 

At just 19, Ellie is already building a career shaped by travel, people, and new experiences. A former student of Weston College, she now works as a customer care agent at Bristol Airport while also spending her summers working at a camp in the United States. 

In her role at the airport, Ellie supports passengers requiring special assistance, guiding them through check-in, security, and boarding, as well as assisting arrivals through customs. “This service allows air travel to be accessible for everyone and reduces stress,” she explains. With airport terminals continuing to expand, services such as wheelchair assistance have become increasingly vital for many passengers. 

Across the Atlantic, her summer role offers a completely different pace. As a gymnastics counsellor, Ellie also took responsibility for a group of fourteen 11–12-year-olds, sharing a cabin and guiding them through daily activities. “Every day is different,” she says, highlighting evening “cabin circle time” as a favourite moment, where campers reflect on their day over cookies. “By the end of summer, they felt like my little besties.” 

Ellie credits her time studying Travel and Tourism at Weston College for sparking her passion for the industry. Initially drawn by a love of travel, the course opened her eyes to a wide range of career paths. “I always wanted to be a flight attendant,” she says, “but I realised there’s so much more out there.” 

Her college experience also helped build confidence and practical skills, particularly in communication and customer service. A standout moment was a business enterprise project supporting Weston Hospicecare, which gave students hands-on insight into running a business while raising money for a local cause. 

After leaving college, Ellie spent five months backpacking across Southeast Asia and Australia - an experience that further shaped her outlook. She is now preparing to return to the U.S. for another summer at camp, with future plans including volunteering in Africa and completing a ski season. 

Her current role at Bristol Airport also stems directly from a college opportunity. After undertaking work experience arranged through the careers and employability team, Ellie and her peers were offered part-time roles. “It was a great job to have while studying and will look amazing on my CV,” she says. 

For current students feeling uncertain about their future, Ellie offers simple but reassuring advice: “Try not to stress. Travelling has taught me that no one really has everything planned out.” 

Looking back, she would tell her younger self the same thing she reminds herself today: “Everything is going to work out in the end.” 

Her final message to students is clear: make the most of your time. “Enjoy it and take it all in - because it’s only two years, and it will be over before you know it.” 

On Thursday 26th March, learners at Weston Bay hosted an impressive Art Exhibition, named ‘Seeing Beneath the Surface’. The purpose of the exhibition was to celebrate the creativity, lived experiences, and self‑expression of our neurodiverse learners.

The exhibition transformed the Weston Bay building into a vibrant creative space and attracted an impressive turnout. Visitors explored rooms filled with diverse artwork, enjoyed a dedicated cinema room, and had the option to purchase food and drink. The pieces on display were created by learners as part of their curriculum, showcasing their exploration of a wide range of artistic practices, including weaving, photography, and mindfulness-inspired art.

The logo created for the exhibition features a subtle, faceless figure lifting away a mask to reveal a cluster of purple and green hydrangeas. The figure represents the pressure many of our learners feel to mask their authentic selves in wider society, contrasted with the space we create at Weston Bay where they can express themselves openly and confidently.

Hydrangeas are traditionally linked with heartfelt emotions and gratitude, reflecting the warmth and welcome our autistic learners experience within Weston College. The colour symbolism deepens this connection:

• Purple expresses a desire for deep understanding.
• Green symbolises renewal and growth.

Together, these elements capture the personal journeys, resilience, and identities of our students.

Armanda Costa, Lead Practitioner – Autism Residential and Employment Pathways, “Yesterday’s Art exhibition at Weston Bay was a powerful reminder of how creativity can bring a community together. What stood out most was the neurodiversity of learners’ voices represented -each artwork offering a unique lens on identity, nature, and lived experience. Events like this don’t just showcase talent; they celebrate the spirit of Weston Bay, Weston College, and the people who shape it.

“Thank you to everyone who came along - especially the parents, local schools, Weston College staff, and colleagues - whose encouraging feedback meant so much.”

Ned, Weston Bay learner, “We've been preparing for this for a whole term. My favourite part of the exhibition is seeing my performance on the screen and seeing James's reaction to my painting of him.”