The West of England Institute of Technology (WEIoT) has announced plans to expand its course offering to learners and employers across the region, through the opening of the Bristol Training Institute in central Bristol from September.

The WEIoT, a Weston College-led collaboration of regional education providers and employers, has a commitment to driving an increase in higher level technical skills in the region through high-quality training provision, working closely with industry to meet the evolving skills needs of employers.

With Bristol being one of the largest hubs for digital and professional services industries outside of London, the new centre, named as the Bristol Training Institute, will offer courses tailored to the specific needs of employers in the city region. The Bristol Training Institute will be based in the heart of the city at 12, Colston Avenue, the former office of the Bristol Law Society.

Courses available from September will include a brand new Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQ) in Computing (Software Engineering), Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship BSc (Hons), Computing Access to HE programme for those wishing to study at university, but currently do not have the qualifications to do so, and innovative Digital Skills Bootcamps for Coding (Python), Data (Azure) skills. In addition, recognising the need to upskill managers to drive digital change in organisations as they evolve, the centre will offer ILM Team Leading qualifications.

Accessibility is a focus of the WEIoT, which brings education providers together to deliver the skills required by employers. The development of the Bristol Training Institute, offering training based in central Bristol, will enable both learners and employers from across the city to access the unique industry-specific training, which will complement existing training provision in the city.

This new central Bristol location will witness a refurbishment to develop a state-of-the-art digital training hub across two floors, with three training rooms including a boardroom, and two conference training rooms all including smartboard facilities and laptop stations. The Institute will have a secure data connection, utilising high-quality digital technology resources to enable access to learning.

Sir Paul Phillips, Principal and CEO of the Weston College Group, who are also the lead College for the West of England Institute of Technology commented:

“The Bristol Training Institute marks another exciting development for the West of England Institute of Technology which is supporting a drive to increase the number of people engaged in higher level technical skills training, supporting learners in the region to secure and progress in high-quality jobs. Bristol has a strong demand for digital skills training, and we have worked with employers, key stakeholders and communities in the region to truly understand how the IoT can offer a training solution that complements existing provision in the city.

“The courses offered are based on what the economy and local communities need and our mission is that our students on completion of their programmes will have the best possible career prospects, whilst employers can benefit from a new talent pool, plus use the Institute as a way to develop and upskill their existing workforce.

“The Bristol Training Institute will be a destination to study in the heart of the city, and we wanted to ensure our logo emulated this, so we took a brand mark of the River Avon, alongside key Bristol landmarks and gave it a contemporary and professional look.”

To find out more about what’s on offer please visit: www.bristol-training.co.uk

Business is one of the most popular degrees in UK universities, as well as one of the most popular choices for 16-18s. Though there will be many contributing reasons as to why, a major factor is learners wanting to develop a deeper understanding of the continuously changing business environment, and how it reacts to what goes on in the world. Completing the qualification will give an opportunity to the learner to become a part of it and progress through the business world.

So, here’s 5 reasons why a business qualification could be the best decision you make for your career!

1. Business is made up of a huge number of different sectors. By completing a qualification before launching into the workplace, you’ll get the opportunity to discover which aspect of Business you have the most passion for, and which is best suited to your natural skillset in order to succeed.

2. Once you’ve decided which sector of Business is best suited to you, you’ll discover there’s Business related jobs in almost every job sector imaginable, for example sport, fashion, education, hospitality and entertainment, so you will have the chance to choose which wider sector you wish to work in. You could even take these opportunities abroad if working overseas is of interest to you.

3. While learning and working, you’ll create and develop a huge number of new skills. These will be highly transferrable to new adventures in your work life, for example a great combination of essay writing skills, but also mathematics skills for the finance and accounting aspect of Business. Some skills you develop will also prove useful in your personal life too. High quality communication skills, for example, will be as beneficial in your personal life as much as in the workplace.

4. Business offers the ability to progress in the workplace, with performance reviews and promotion opportunities. Having the ability to progress will help with your career satisfaction, the chance to take on new challenges, and an increase in your engagement day to day. Therefore, having a qualification before entering the workplace will heighten the chances of progression, by providing you with knowledge to secure promotions.

5. You can make Business qualifications adaptable to you! With the ability to start studying Business at any age over 16, it’s not too late sign up to one of our many Business courses; Apprenticeships, T Levels, A Levels, BTEC, and degree/degree apprenticeship

If you’re interested in a qualification in Business to lead you to a career, click:

- Here for more information about studying Business at Weston

- Here for A Level/BTEC

- Here for T Level

- Here for Apprenticeships

- Here for Degrees in Business at UCW

From September 2022, Weston College are welcoming school leavers to study the brand-new Business T Level programme. T Levels offer a mixture of both college and work-based learning which has been designed to give learners the technical skills and workplace experience to kick-start their career. The new programmes are developed in collaboration with employers and providers so that the content meets the needs of the industry. 

The two year Business T Level course is the equivalent to three A Levels, and will provide students with an understanding of a broad range of issues relevant to the sector, including; an overview of organisational cultures and values, stakeholders, governance and the impact of organisations on society and the environment; project and change management; business behaviours including communication; quality improvement and compliance in all aspects of public and private sector organisations. 

Those joining the college in September will get to experience the brand-new facilities including an industry standard business boardroom with the latest technology and a brand-new workspace.  

Employers across the country are recognising how important T Levels are going to be, especially in their plans for developing their future work force. NatWest Bank has pledged their support of the new Business T Level course at Weston College by shaping the curriculum, providing business skills training to students, and highlighting the benefits of employers hosting industry work placements through their regional employer network.    

NatWest’s support of the Weston College T Level course is aligned to their mission to be a purpose-led bank and champion the potential of people, families, and businesses across the UK, focusing on the areas which can have the biggest positive impacts across society. 

Elly Rowley, NatWest Regional Ecosystem Manager for the South-West said; “Through partnerships and resources, we are committed to supporting the business success stories of the future and are pleased to be working with Weston College on the introduction of their new Business T Level course.” 

 “We look forward to meeting and inspiring these future business leaders and being part of the curriculum through this exciting T Level partnership, which Weston College have been working closely with employers and industry on." 

Dave Crew, Head of Business Growth & Employer Partnerships at Weston College said; “T Levels are the future of college-based technical education, and we’re committed to developing our curriculum with employers to create a work-ready pipeline of talent for our region. NatWest are a key partner for the College, and we’re delighted to be working together to create a challenging and engaging programme of skills training for our Business T Level course, as we create the business leaders of the future.” 

• Find out more about T Levels here.  

• Learn more and apply now for the Business, Management and Leadership T Level. 

• Learn more and apply now for the Accounting T Level.