A new Employment Centre to give hundreds of jobseekers better access to employment skills and training programmes, has opened opposite College’s Knightstone Campus in central Weston.

The new site - Weston Employment Centre - has been delivered in collaboration with Weston College, and Seetec Pluss who are delivering the government’s Restart scheme to help long-term unemployed people to find new opportunities.

The Restart Scheme is helping people who have been out of work for nine months or longer to pick up the skills they need for the modern workforce and helping them with tailored support to find suitable, sustainable jobs.

John Penrose MP marked the launch of Weston Employment Centre in an official opening attended by guests and stakeholders.

Alongside John Penrose, they were shown around the new state-of-the-art Centre to discover more about its unique partnership and talked to some the participants already benefitting its employment support.

Drew Smith, Restart Scheme Operations Director commented: “Our Restart Scheme team in Weston is currently supporting 400 individuals on their journey back into employment which is really fantastic. Even better than that, we’re working with the College to develop bespoke courses specifically for our participants.”

He continued, “The South West is predominantly one of the lowest paid areas in the country and we feel that the skills side of things is a real opportunity for us to change some of that.”

A Seetec Pluss participant on the Restart Scheme, who is also benefitting from the collaboration with Weston College, attended the opening to share her story of how she was plummeted into unemployment as a result of the pandemic. 41-year-old Jenny from Milton shared, “I’ve been unemployed for around 18 months now. I had a good job in Project Co-ordination, and I was by all means like everybody else.

“Like many people during the pandemic, I lost my job as a result of childcare problems and the financial impact of that was massive and caused me to sell a lot of my things to keep my family going. As time went on, I was increasingly isolated, and it bedded a sense of hopelessness that destroys your hope for the future.

“Seetec Pluss were a breath of fresh air; they were so welcoming, friendly and they really understood me. One of the most significant things they were able to do for me was provide me with a laptop which allowed me to reconnect with employment opportunities and create a professional job application.

“They also encouraged me to enrol with Weston College,” she continued, “so I’m now doing a Leadership and Management course to upskill and hopefully find even better employment than I was in before.

“I’m truly grateful; thank you isn’t a word that even begins to explain how grateful I am for what they’ve been able to do for me.”

Jo Watson, Weston College Group Deputy Principal said: “Seetec Pluss is a leading provider of work and wellbeing services that inspires thousands of people to find and progress in work each year, so for us this is a perfect partner, as they align with the College’s mission to create brighter futures. I would really encourage anyone who has found themselves out of work, to come and visit the new Weston Employment Centre, where I have seen first-hand how it can help individuals boost their confidence, learn and develop skills and get people back into work.”

John Penrose MP added: “The whole reason why Seetec Pluss is here and why this partnership is so important is not just because we’re coming out of a pandemic, it’s because we’d still always want organisations like this in partnership with local colleges doing what is happening here.

“It’s absolutely essential for people’s self-respect, for our overall economy, but also for the success and long-term sustainability of a community like Weston-super-Mare, that we take people who through no fault of their own just got a bit far away from the employment market and need a couple of very practical things done with them in order to get that back. The people of Weston [super-Mare] are showing the way to the rest of the country about how it could be done and how it should be done.”

Seetec Pluss supports over 40,000 people every year with a wide range of barriers, disabilities and health conditions to move towards and into work. To find out more, visit Work, Wellbeing & Employment Services - Seetec Pluss

Weston College’s Hospitality and Catering Career Excellence Hub, has been awarded national success, named as Outstanding Industry Partnerships award winners at The Professional Association of Catering Education (PACE) awards.

PACE is the representative body for hospitality and catering education with a regional and national network of members, and these awards are a celebration of the work that happens on a daily basis in education to develop the future workforce of the hospitality industry.

Weston College was commended for its work during the pandemic, and the opportunities that were created for learners through working with employers, despite difficult circumstances.

Sandra Bull, Dean of Faculty for Hospitality, said: “We are so pleased to have won this award, as it reflects the hard work and dedication of not only our staff, but also our students, who continue to impress us and raise the profile of the work we do.

“Our team doesn’t stand still, and we are always looking to create opportunities that will benefit our learners, and that is demonstrated in this award.

“One of the aspects that we were commended for, was our links with employers, and how we deliver regular masterclasses which offers our learners a unique and exciting way to develop their skills – experiencing a range of techniques. We must thank our endorsing employers who work so closely with our curriculum it allows our learners to learn from their journeys, expertise and experience. But also the importance of experience, whether that be through placements or working live events, which is a key part of our delivery at Weston College.”

A huge well done to the Hospitality and Catering team. If you would like to study one of our hospitality courses, you can find out more information, here.