A new recruitment agency to help companies interested in employing apprentices has been launched by Weston College.

Brighter Futures Recruitment will enable employers to enjoy the benefits of recruiting new workers through apprenticeship schemes without having to worry about bureaucracy or long-term commitments.

The agency will provide two new apprenticeship models designed to suit the needs of every business, as well as the traditional apprenticeship model.

The traditional model is where the apprentice is employed directly by the business, and the training provider is Weston College, which was rated ‘Outstanding’ at its last Ofsted inspection.

However, for companies that require greater flexibility, Brighter Futures Recruitment offers a new service whereby the agency acts as the employer on behalf of the business and deals with all paperwork and legalities.

This option has two models. One is the Apprenticeship Training Agency (ATA) Probation Model, in which the apprentice is employed by the agency for an agreed amount of time and the prospective employer can observe them in their work environment before offering direct employment.

The other is the ATA model, which involves the apprentice being employed by the agency for the duration of their apprenticeship.

Helen Booker, Contracts Manager at Brighter Futures Recruitment, explained: “This is a unique recruitment agency, which aims to place apprentices in employment and to support companies interested in employing an apprentice, but concerned about the demands involved in taking on more staff.

“We appreciate that every business is different so we offer various models of apprenticeships for employers.

"We can support them in finding and hiring the perfect candidate and then act as the employer for an agreed amount of time.”

Brighter Futures Recruitment is based within the Business Enterprise Centre at the Weston College South West Skills Campus.

Dr Paul Phillips OBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “We are delighted to be delivering the new ATA models in conjunction with the National Apprenticeship Service to help businesses of any size to discover the value of having an apprentice.”

For further information on Brighter Futures Recruitment, go to www.brighterfuturesrecruitment.co.uk or call 01934 411 594.

SafeGuard Clothing has donated a bulletproof vest to Weston College’s Uniformed and Public Services students.

The international body armour company’s donation fits in with its mission of educating students about the necessity for safety equipment for front line service operatives.

SafeGuard Clothing has partnered with several regional and national education institutions to assist with materials and information that enrich the students’ learning experience.

Thomas Bowman, speaking on behalf of SafeGuard Armour and Clothing, said: “Under our corporate initiative for social responsibility and involvement, we assist local colleges in developing their Public Services courses.

“We offer our support, expertise and guidance to improve student preparedness for the line of work they have chosen.”

Rebecca Ranson, Curriculum Manager for Sport and Public Services at Weston College, expressed gratitude to SafeGuard for the donation, saying: “It offers our students great advantage in acquiring the knowledge and skills they need in their chosen field.

“Such level of corporate and social responsibility creates vital opportunities and enhances the quality of our educational program.

“We are happy that Weston College is among those that have been selected to receive a donation as we believe it creates a unique advantage for our students to understand the type of body armour they will be using later on in their careers.”

SafeGuard Armour and Clothing is a worldwide manufacturer and distributer of body armour and is involved in research and development for new materials to enhance the wearability of protective body armour for front line services.

The West of England Local Enterprise Partnership Joint Committee has agreed £8.7 million in funding for two Weston College projects.

UPDATE TO ARTICLE – Both brand new facilities have since opened. Click here to visit our facilities page.

The College will now be able to create two new centres which will focus on teaching skills in key priority sectors for the West of England.

£3.3 million will be put towards creating an Construction Training Centre, and a further £5.4 million will go towards creating a Health and Active Living Skills Centre. These new centres will address a number of skills shortages in the local area, as well as creating jobs and benefitting businesses. The Health and Active Living Skills Centre will be community-focused and seek to improve health and wellbeing across Weston and North Somerset.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, said: “This announcement confirms our intention to now enhance construction skills, health, wellbeing and fitness across North Somerset.

“Our facilities, including the Winter Gardens and university centre development will provide state of the art learning and resources across a range of qualification levels and sectors, meaning that local people will benefit from unprecedented access to learning opportunities including degrees.

“These new centres will give us the complete resources to meet the growing demand for these skills across the region, particularly in terms of Hinkley Point C.”

This announcement comes at the end of a successful month for Weston College, which saw its higher education provision, University Centre Weston, graded Gold under the Teaching Excellence Framework – putting it above many Russell Group universities and among the top 20% of university-level education providers in the country and on par with Oxford and Cambridge universities.

Tim Bowles, West of England Mayor, said: “Through the Local Growth Fund the Joint Committee can approve projects that will deliver much needed infrastructure. North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and the wider region will benefit from these projects approved today to improve skills in engineering, construction and health.”

Professor Steve West, Interim Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Approval for these projects show that we can work together to make the West an attractive option for business and industry. These are important steps in ensuring that we have the right skills in the right sectors coming through for the long term.”