Weston College is delighted to announce that nominations are now open for the Weston College Business Awards 2026, an annual celebration recognising outstanding collaboration between learners, including apprentices, trainees, and industry placement students and their employer partners. 

The 2026 awards ceremony will be held on Thursday 11 June 2026 at the iconic Winter Gardens, Weston-super-Mare, offering an inspiring evening dedicated to achievement, partnership, and success. 

Recognising Excellence in Partnership 

The Business Awards highlight the powerful connection between education and industry. Each award honours both a learner and their employer, celebrating individual achievement and the essential support provided by forward-thinking organisations. 

Award categories for 2026 include: 

You can find out more about each award here; www.weston.ac.uk/BusinessAwardsNominations 

• Work Experience Partnership Award 
• Adult Training Partnership Award 
• Industry Placement Partnership Award 
• Career Excellence Hub Partnership Award 
• Into Work Partnership Award (Supported Internships / SEND) 
• Apprenticeship Partnership Award 
• University Centre Weston Higher & Degree Apprenticeship Award 
• Community Project Award 

More information on each category can be found at: www.weston.ac.uk/BusinessAwardsNominations 

How to nominate 

Nominations are open until 16 January 2026. 

To submit an entry, please complete the official nomination form: 

Within the form, you can: Business Awards 2026 Nominations – Fill in form 

• Nominate a learner and their employer for a Weston College Business Partnership Award 
• Nominate a project for the Community Project Award 
• Nominate a Career Excellence Hub partner for the CEH Employer Partnership Award 
• Nominate a former Weston College student for the Alumni Impact Laureate 

Judges will be seeking clear evidence of growth, professionalism, real-world impact, and effective collaboration. 

Be Part of the Celebration 

Shortlisted nominees will be invited to the awards ceremony, and each learner will receive two complimentary tickets to bring family or friends. Employers and assessors will also be welcomed to join the celebration. 

To submit a nomination or learn more, visit: www.weston.ac.uk/BusinessAwardsNominations 

For those interested in becoming sponsors, Weston College is inviting organisations to get involved. Sponsorship opportunities offer a way to support the event and gain visibility within a network of dedicated learners and employers. For more details, contact us at marketing@weston.ac.uk 

Earlier this month, our Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction T Level students were visited by Octavius Infrastructure to outline their current project on Winterstoke Road Railway Bridge starting this December.   

Ben Krawiec, Project Manager at Octavius, and Julie Jones, Stakeholder & Social Value Manager at Octavius, visited our students to share their industry insight, discuss their journey into their roles, and outline the large local project that the Civil Engineering team are executing this year.   

Octavius Infrastructure is a civil engineering and transport company that ensures efficient transport networks by keeping trains running smoothly and traffic moving on the roads, often working with major clients such as Network Rail and National Highways.  

Ben is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Construction Project Manager at Octavius who has worked on many bridge projects throughout his career. He explained to the students what Octavius do for the community, his role within the company, and how they are improving railway lines. He also discussed their current project to rebuild the Winterstoke Road Railway Bridge in Weston-super-Mare.   

Winterstoke Road Railway Bridge runs over the mainline railway connecting Bristol and the South West of England. It was built by the Ministry of Defence during the Second World War to provide easy access to the RAF’s aeroplane factory in Weston-super-Mare and remains an integral transport route for members of the public today. Due to the age of the bridge, it must now be replaced with a new structure that can withstand many more years of use in the future to ensure the bridge is not permanently closed.  

This project is being funded by the Ministry of Defence, with Octavius Infrastructure acting as the Design and Build Project Contractors. To minimise the disruption, they have placed a temporary footbridge across the railway to allow for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the bridge whilst the work takes place. The bridge is due to be demolished over Christmas and work beginning in the New Year 2026.   

However, this project has not been without its technical challenges, the main problem having to build the bridge on soft ground conditions, making it difficult to create a structure that will withstand heavy vehicles and pressure over time. They have also faced challenges with the statutory undertakers and the available time frames due to working closely with rail interface to work around their timetables to minimise disruptions to rail travel. Additionally, they are under a high-pressure timeline to complete the project and have many spatial restrictions due to the surrounding companies and residential areas.  

Ben added that this project has been a learning curve for his own professional development due to the residential closeness of the construction site. In previous projects, he is used to working in more secluded areas, therefore noise has not been an issue. However, due to Winterstoke Road Railway Bridge being surrounded by residential areas, they have had to consider a new approach to avoid disruption as much as possible.  

Ben and Julie handed out blueprints to students to show them the project plans, explaining the processes and reasonings behind certain decisions and give them a better understanding of the thorough details and drafts behind a project.  

This guest lecture provides our students with excellent insight into a career as a Civil Engineer, hearing about the projects they could complete, the challenges they will likely face, and the factors that must be considered throughout large projects like this.  

A big thank you to Ben and Julie from Octavius Infrastructure for taking the time to visit our T Level Construction students and explain the work you are doing within the community.  

This guest lecture forms part of the Construction Careers Excellence Hub. Weston College's Career Excellence Hubs are designed to be the launching pad for our learners' careers. In a world where connections and relevant skills matter more than ever, these hubs offer a holistic approach that prepares learners to thrive in their chosen industries. With the support of these hubs, our learners are well-equipped to make a significant impact in their professional journeys.  

Progress to the next level in Construction! At University Centre Weston (UCW) our students give us impressive feedback, with our latest National Student Survey results putting us above average in all nine areas! Find out more about our exceptional teaching, wellbeing services and learning resources by visiting our website. Click here!  

If you are passionate about education and are looking for an opportunity to join the staff team at a leading college, then look at the latest job vacancies available at Weston College here. You can find all the latest job opportunities that Weston College has to offer, with a commitment to providing quality education for learners and a focus on continuous professional development for staff, Weston College is an excellent place to work and grow in your career. 

Last month, a group of our T-Level Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction students visited the UK Construction Week Exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham. This event is the UK's largest built environment event which showcases a range of international exhibitors.  

This tradeshow exhibits 1000s of innovative products, services and materials for other like-minded individuals to experience and explore. it also gathers the top speakers within the sector to hold seminars and hands-on workshops where they discuss and debate the issues that affect the construction industry.  

The trip provided an excellent opportunity for students to explore the latest innovations and technologies shaping the future of the construction industry. The show had a heavy focus on sustainability from Hybrid and Electric vehicles to Solar powered welfare units.   

On top of this, the students’ experienced live demonstrations from different products and gained hands on insights from industry professionals. They even discovered a 3D concrete printing machine that could build the next generation of homes which gave the students a better understanding of the future of construction.  

Students also got the chance to connect with smaller feeder companies that contribute to the overall UK construction market. This gave them a better understanding of the different opportunities available to them outside of larger corporations that help lay the foundations and create key elements in the construction industry. They received a variety of freebies and merchandise from different stands they engaged with.  

Overall, the visit proved to be educational and beneficial with a range of fantastic networking opportunities. Students got the chance to experience new materials and innovative projects that exhibitors and professionals have created across the UK. Following this event, we hope to welcome some of the exhibitors as guest speakers to the College over the coming months.  

Thank you to all the exhibitors and employers who engaged and interacted with our students.  

This curriculum trip forms part of the Construction Careers Excellence Hub. Weston College's Career Excellence Hubs are designed to be the launching pad for our learners' careers. In a world where connections and relevant skills matter more than ever, these hubs offer a holistic approach that prepares learners to thrive in their chosen industries. With the support of these hubs, our learners are well-equipped to make a significant impact in their professional journeys.  

Progress to the next level in Construction! At University Centre Weston (UCW) our students give us impressive feedback, with our latest National Student Survey results putting us above average in all nine areas! Find out more about our exceptional teaching, wellbeing services and learning resources by visiting our website. Click here! 

If you are passionate about education and are looking for an opportunity to join the staff team at a leading college, then look at the latest job vacancies available at Weston College here. You can find all the latest job opportunities that Weston College has to offer, with a commitment to providing quality education for learners and a focus on continuous professional development for staff, Weston College is an excellent place to work and grow in your career.