A Weston College-led proposal to create the West of England Institute of Technology (IoT) has been shortlisted by the Department for Education (DfE).  If approved, the proposal will see up to £14m of government funding awarded to establish the IoT, designed to support the DfE ambition to create a network of Institutes of Technology. The West of England IoT aims to directly enhance the delivery of employer-led science, technology, engineering and maths provision to meet current and future workforce demands. 

The West of England IoT is a Weston College-led consortium of education providers and key employers across the South West.  It includes the University of the West of England, Bath College, Gloucestershire College, and Yeovil College as well as a network of key local employers, including GKN Aerospace, Airbus, GE Aviation, Renishaw, Weston Area Health Trust and St Monica Trust.

This IoT will bring together industry, education and research to design and deliver flexible higher-level technical learning to equip young people and those already in work with the skills to fully exploit new technologies and digital innovation to increase productivity and position the region as the ‘creators and makers’ of the future. 

Capitalising on respective partners’ areas of academic and industry expertise, the IoT will provide training solutions to support the continued growth of regional excellence, where industry and academia work together to develop a sustainable pipeline of skilled labour to meet current, emerging and future demand.  The IoT seeks to widen participation in targeted science, technology, engineering and maths higher education to ensure the region has the skills to drive and deliver resilient, inclusive and sustainable economic growth now and for the future.

It aims to support regional industry as it prepares to respond to regional, national and global skills needs, and prepare the current and future workforce to embrace and maximise the impact of digital innovation on key industry sectors that have regional and national impact on economic growth.

Dr Paul Phillips, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, said: “We are thrilled to have got through to this stage and recognise that this project has the potential to significantly influence skills development on both a regional and national basis.”

He went on to say that the next stage would now involve detailed meetings with everyone involved in the process matched by rigorous timelines and financial analysis.

Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of the West of England commented: “UWE, Bristol is delighted to be supporting a very strong bid for an Institute of Technology that engages further education partners and employers from across our region.

"Clearly the strength of an innovative and collaborative bid focusing on developing the skills we need for the future has captured the attention of the Government. We look forward to moving to the next stage of our application where we would hope to secure the backing of ministers.”

Weston College is set to play a lead role in tackling the construction industry skills shortage by opening a state-of-the-art industry focused training centre.

The Weston College Construction Training Centre, based just off Junction 21 of the M5, will open in spring 2019 and represents a £3.8 million investment.

It will offer training in three key construction areas – plant operations, scaffolding, and groundworks.

Courses have been selected and designed with employers’ needs in mind and in response to the growing demand for a trained and skilled construction workforce in the region.

Training will be available as required by employers and individuals, rather than fitting into the traditional academic year.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group said: “The Construction Training Centre is a natural step into commercial training and starts an exciting chapter for us.

“Over the last ten years, we’ve built strong relationships with employers to develop our apprenticeship provision.

“But we’ve recognised, more and more, the need to deliver training at the point of need – not only for school leavers during the academic year.

“The Construction Training Centre means employers can come to us at any time for short courses, top-up courses, and to up-skill staff who are taking on new roles. We’ll also provide apprenticeships in these new areas to train the next generation of this industry’s workforce.”

The new centre has been designed to equip industry with the workforce it needs now and into the future.

Dr Paul Phillips said: “It’s a direct response to the skills shortage in the three areas.

The ability for the centre to offer plant training for all major site plant will be a significant development for the South West, whether that is with 360 excavators, dumper trucks or telehandlers, the centre will offer easily accessible training, key to meeting industry demand.

The College has commissioned Midas Construction to build the centre.

Dr Paul Phillips said: “We have a long-running relationship with Midas. They understand the College, our priorities and how to provide the learning environment that students need.”

Weston College will team up with national leader for scaffolding, safety experts Simian, to provide outstanding scaffolding training.

This training centre has been made possible through the efforts of Weston College in partnership with the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership and North Somerset Council.

The financial investment has been provided by the College match-funding a successful bid for funding from the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) through the Local Growth Fund, administered by the West of England Combined Authority.

Chair of the West of England LEP, Prof Steve West, said: “We’re really pleased to support the fantastic new Construction Training Centre at Weston College. This will help to equip our current and future construction workforce with the skills they need to drive forward the building of new homes, business premises and infrastructure as our region grows. It will also help them to secure better career prospects and make the most of the opportunities available right here in the West of England.”

Derek Quinn, Executive Director for Midas Construction, said: “We are delighted to be continuing the strong framework partnership between Weston College and Midas. As a regionally-based business we are active in promoting opportunities for careers within construction and so we are particularly proud to be involved in bringing forward this new facility which will help develop a skilled and highly-trained workforce for the future.”

Find out more about the Construction Training Centre here.

Weston College has made it into the prestigious Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list.

The College was the highest ranked College in the list and was placed 28th in the not-for-for profit category in the whole of the UK.

The Sunday Times 100 list is regarded as the Oscars of employee engagement. The 2019 places were announced at a glitzy awards ceremony held at the Battersea Evolution, London on Wednesday 20th February.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “To be included in such a prestigious roll of honour at the Sunday Times 100 List is a major achievement and testament to the emphasis we place on putting our staff at the heart of the business.

“Employee engagement and investment are among our highest priorities. This award reflects those priorities, as well as the commitment and dedication our people give us in return.

"Being recognised at UK level is hugely rewarding and we will continue to work hard to support our employees both personally and professionally.”

The College won a place in the list after a comprehensive staff survey carried out by ‘Best Companies’, who compile the Sunday Times List. The survey gathered the views of Weston College employees across eight key factors including wellbeing, pay and benefits, personal growth and the strength of leadership at the College.

Organisations in the not-for-profit category must employ at least 50 employees, and achieve one of the highest 100 highest survey scores in the category. They must also be either a charity, an organisation set up for community benefit, a public sector organisation, or a Community Interest Company (CIC).