Hidden messages, secret rooms and long-forgotten décor - as Weston College progresses in its refurbishment work, the mysteries of the Winter Gardens are gradually being revealed…

Hidden spaces

1 - Not many people know that the Winter Gardens has a basement, and far fewer people have had the chance to go inside it. When we began the structural repairs, we came across the dark and damp space which runs under the ballroom balcony.

2 - In a hidden corner of the ballroom a small, cast iron spiral staircase leads into a hidden room above...

3 - Accessible by a tight window in the Winter Garden’s roof is a small void inside the dome, which runs around the top of the ballroom.

Messages from the past

1 - Inside the basement, past employees voiced their thoughts and feelings about the venue, politics, and even wrote epitaphs for former colleagues who had passed away.

2 - More humorous notes include directions to the visiting dancers at the venue…

The original floor

When Midas Group stripped back the carpet on the balcony that runs around the ballroom, they found the remains of the original rubber flooring. The art-deco patterned floor was installed to reduce the echo in this part of the building. This was covered by carpet later in the 20th century.

Raising a glass to the future

While stripping out the remaining furniture, we found the original Champagne bowls from the building’s 1927 opening. The glasses are currently being held at the Town Hall before they are moved back to their permanent home in the Winter Gardens Pavilion when the refurbishment is complete.

What’s next?

The Winter Gardens will reopen to the public in September 2017, after extensive renovation and enhancement which will secure its status as a community asset for generations to come. The public will benefit from access to around half of the total site, including a restaurant and bar, a café, and – most importantly – the ballroom, which gives the building its iconic status.

Weston College and the Federation of Small Businesses Limited (FSB) have joined forces to generate more apprenticeships opportunities across the West of England.

Following the FSB ‘Make or Break, getting apprenticeships reform right for small businesses’ report in August 2016, it was discovered that two in three small-medium enterprises retain their apprentice once they have finished their studies, which represents the benefits of hiring apprentices. Weston College actively seeks to better these statistics, with over 90% of its apprentices being offered permanent positions once they have completed their course.

The objective of this partnership is to highlight opportunities for small-medium enterprise employers across the West of England to engage with apprenticeships to recruit and develop talent, supporting their business growth.

John Mayer, the FSB Weston-super-Mare branch Vice Chairman said: “The FSB are committed to supporting our members locally and nationally to understand the opportunities presented by apprenticeships to attract, retain and develop a skilled workforce. There are significant benefits to employing an apprentice, giving the employer a valuable resource they can invest in to help successfully manage their businesses. We are therefore delighted to be working in partnership with Weston College to directly address some of the myths and lack of understanding around apprenticeships and generate additional employment opportunities across the region.”

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, said: “At Weston College we pride ourselves in putting students first, and we are committed to giving our learners the best opportunities possible. We are excited by the prospect of working with FSB, as we aim to expand our network of local businesses and employers, to deliver more apprenticeships in the region.”

The partnership will include Weston College and the FSB hosting a joint Apprenticeship Expo event on 31st October at the Winter Gardens in Weston-super-Mare. The event will focus on enlightening businesses to the opportunities that apprenticeships can present to their organisation. Organisations will receive advice on recruitment and funding, as well as the opportunity to hear first-hand experiences from companies that offer apprenticeships.

Employers can register their interest for the event here

To discuss the advantages apprenticeships can bring to your organisation, contact us on 01934 411 411 or email apprenticeships@weston.ac.uk

Degree apprenticeships are an exciting new way to combine academic study with work-related, practical experience which is crucial for employers.

One of the degree apprenticeships that we offer at University Centre Weston (UCW) is the BSc (Hons) Degree in Digital and Technology Solutions. This has been developed with UWE Bristol, and delivers four of the pathways which have been developed for the Digital and Technology Solutions Degree including cyber security, software engineer, business analyst and data analyst.

To get the low down on this course, and how the apprenticeships are helping our students, we spoke with two of our apprentices…

Dave Rose, who studies the Digital and Technology Solutions degree-level apprenticeship at UCW, said: “With the degree apprenticeship I was given the opportunity to have one day out of work a week, while my pay and benefits stayed the same for my job that I had already been in for quite a while.

“This has given me a great chance to upskill and as long as I put the work in I can walk away with a full honours degree all with no student loan or debt. I think that is an absolutely incredible deal, it’s almost ridiculous and anyone who can should jump at that opportunity!”

Tommy Beaton, UCW degree apprentice, said: “My course covers a large part of IT and allows me to learn a lot of the skills required to do my job.”

There is a stigma around apprenticeships that apprentices don’t get stuck in with real life tasks, however this is not the case. Tommy said: “I am working for the College and I’m currently helping to develop online courses for distance learners. I am also building a coaching and mentoring course for our online platform, 'TIDE'.

“I've always wanted to be in a working environment as I find that's when I learn best, so to be able to work on real projects allows me to be creative and learn a lot too. It's an excellent opportunity and not one I was willing to turn down.

"This apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to develop my team working skills, instructional design and website development.”

It has become an increasingly popular choice to choose an apprenticeship over a degree in recent years with apprenticeship participation at a record high.

Interested?

You can find out more about becoming a degree apprentice over on the University Centre Weston website.

Degree apprenticeships are increasingly used to upskill existing employees using this industry approach.If you’d like more information about how degree apprenticeships can support your business please contact our Training Solutions team on 01934 411 594.