Joining Us From School in September? Then Make Sure You book Onto Your Welcome Evening!

Welcome Evenings will provide you with further key information about your chosen subject area and the programme for which you have applied. It will also give you an opportunity to have a more in-depth look at our facilities, meet staff and get any answers to questions you might have around what you will learn, how you will be assessed and the wider support arrangements available. This is a crucial stage in your applicant journey, as we will make sure you know all the key dates and activities coming up before you start your programme. We want you to be well informed and leave feeling confident that you have made the right choice for your post-16 learning.

Weston College appreciates the crucial role parents/carers and families play in supporting their children to settle in at college and be successful on their programme. We would therefore actively encourage all parent/carers to attend with their child.

My name is Dave Newman, and I am the owner and Chef Patron at The Ginger Pig Kitchen, here in Weston-super-Mare. The Ginger Pig Kitchen is a local restaurant, focusing on fresh food, served in a relaxed atmosphere with great service.

I hugely enjoy working with the college; watching the students develop and grow under our guidance is amazing – being able to reflect on their abilities when they first began, compared to the skills they have now, is so fulfilling as an employer. As well as skills development, their confidence grows massively too, allowing them to interact better with each other and the customers. The skills and the confidence growing in unison while working results in working towards a successful career in hospitality!

I work with the college in many ways, including delivering masterclasses, which take place throughout the year to showcase my skills to learners and teach them how to progress. I also detail what we do in my restaurant, the process of keeping the customers happy and why we do it in the way that we do.

The impact of the involvement with the learners on the organisation has been huge. They play an important part of the team, and massively contribute to the smooth running of the restaurant.

I truly believe giving learners a good chance at progression, showing them how to be a role model, and developing their workplace skills, will help them on the way to their next opportunity in hospitality.

We caught up with Megan Thomas, who is the Education and Outreach Lead at Hinkley Point C, to find out about the work they do with us.

The Hinkley Point C project is the first new nuclear power station to be built in the UK in over twenty years. It is currently in the construction phase, but once live it will provide power to 6 million home across the UK.

My role is to inspire, engage and educate young people across the South West to consider a career at the project. We have a huge range of opportunities and career pathways on the project, and I'm always looking at how I can get new talent involved!

We have worked closely with Weston College for many years; especially as they sit within the 90-minute radius of the Hinkley Point C site. Weston College have brilliant facilities with a huge offer and a team of dedicated and reliable staff.

We are part of the Careers Excellence Hubs, which I think are a brilliant initiative to bring business into the curriculum, and show students the reality of the industry they are studying.

I believe it is vital for students to have engagement from business throughout their studies whilst at College, and this is what we have been able to provide Weston College students with.

We have worked closely with the curriculum areas that link directly into the project, and have given these students a full careers workshop on the opportunities available once they complete their studies. I always bring members of Team HPC with me when I present to students, so we can really bring the project to life, and the students can ask the raw and real questions they want to!

For me, we are always looking to bring new people onto the project so getting in front of the young people who are about to begin their career journeys is brilliant.

Megan Thomas, Education and Outreach Lead, Hinkley Point C Project

A big thank you to Megan and Hinkley Point C, for all they do in supporting Weston College learners.

Find out more about our courses for school leavers, by clicking here.