Last year we met Jonathan, who applied for our HGV Skills Bootcamp – and three months after completing his test, is enjoying his job as a lorry driver!

Our free HGV Skills Bootcamps are delivered in partnership with West of England Combined Authority, to residents of the South West, looking to gain a Category C Licence, which allows them to drive vehicles between 3.5 tonnes and 32 tonnes.

Jonathan was someone that always had an interest in lorries, but decided to use this opportunity to further his career. He said: “A close friend of mine decided to return to driving and he sent me the details of the course. As I was unemployed at the time and only doing the odd days work through agencies, I decided to take this opportunity to acquire my HGV Class 1 (LGV C+E) and turn my interest into a career.”

The HGV Skills Bootcamps offer participants free, flexible courses that last up to 16 weeks, with those that successfully complete the course being guaranteed a job interview.

Jonathan added: “The course was a mix of classroom and online based learning programme and as a self-confessed habitual student, I enjoyed this side of the course. My highlight of the course though was when it came to the actual driving as I was expecting to start in a Class 2 (Rigid) and was introduced straight away to a Class 1 articulated lorry. I was helped along the way by my instructor Mark, who was very encouraging – he inspired me with confidence that I could do this.”

On competition of the course, Jonathan started working with DX Freight, where he is an HGV Class 1 Driver.

On his first day, he was asked to drive to Heathrow, and as part of this, he had to swap trailers. Jonathan said of the experience: “It was a challenge, but one that I took up. I found this quite daunting at first to be honest, as I hadn't driven a truck since passing my test.”

Jonathan was new to the logistics industry, and has continued to impress his employer with this skills and work ethic.

He added: “If you’re considering the HGV course, I would say go for it! If you enjoy driving and travelling to different places.”

Find out more about our HGV Skills Bootcamps, by clicking here.

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.