Staff at Weston College who were awarded Silver in the 2018 Pearson Teaching Awards were invited to the House of Commons for Tea to celebrate their achievements.

Lecturer Charmaine Hale-Lynch, who teaches Travel and Tourism at the College, along with Mandy Lee, Student Welfare & Pastoral Support Services Manager, and Ben Cocks, Assistant Director, all attended the event in the House of Commons.

Charmaine and the Welfare and Pastoral Services Team were selected from thousands of nominations nationwide back in June, and were two of just 65 winners in the 2018 Pearson Teaching Awards.

They were invited to an exclusive, one in a lifetime opportunity to have tea at the House of Commons ahead of a glittering ceremony broadcast live on the BBC later this year, where just 12 winners (one from each category) will be selected to win the prestigious Gold Plato.

The Pearson teaching awards are run annually, and schools and FE colleges are invited to nominate members of staff and teams within their organisation who they think are worthy of recognition for the fantastic work they do daily. There is then an in-depth selection process, involving judging visits to the schools, to identify ground-breaking teachers and teams.

Ben Cocks, Assistant Director at Weston College, said: “Seeing both Charmaine and the Welfare and Pastoral Support Services win a Silver Teaching Award, and being part of that, has been an amazing experience and given me a real sense of pride and delight.

“I have seen first-hand how hard the staff within the department work. What they do is truly inspirational and for them as individuals and as a team, winning the award has given them the recognition they not only deserve, but also the confidence and reassurance that what they do to support our learners and the wider community is valued, having a real impact and changing lives.

“It is our learners who inspire the staff and make it worthwhile and this award is to them as much as it is to the staff.”

Offsite Solutions, the UK’s leading bathroom pod manufacturer, in partnership with Weston College has launched an apprenticeship scheme to attract new talent into offsite manufacturing.

Offsite Solutions is an important employer in the South West and recently won the Manufacturer of the Year Award at the Business Leader Awards. The company was also a finalist in the Made in the UK Awards in the Manufacturer of the Year category.

Working with its training partner Weston College, the company is looking to employ up to six apprentices who will train to be plumbers, electricians and bathroom fitters at its bathroom pod factory in Highbridge, Somerset.

The company will also be giving up to 10 existing production staff the opportunity to join a new apprenticeship scheme for team leadership and to train as electricians and plumbers. This will give them additional skills and valuable career progression.

Commenting on the new scheme, Steve Dancer, Factory Manager at Offsite Solutions, said, “Apprentices are constantly learning new techniques and bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm into a business which they pass onto their colleagues. This approach fits really well into our commitment to encouraging innovation through offsite manufacturing, to help reinforce our position as the UK’s market leader in factory-built bathrooms.”

“Our aim is for the apprenticeship scheme to provide us with a pool of talented individuals who will benefit from first-hand experience within our manufacturing operations and gain relevant qualifications to help their personal development and maximise their potential. The quality of our workforce is fundamental to the long-term success of our business and our trainees will play a vital role in ensuring we continue to achieve our ambitious plans for growth.”

Ian Porter, Associate Business Development Officer at Weston College, said, “Apprenticeships deliver for businesses, individuals and the economy. They enable young people to gain the skills and knowledge they need to succeed and for businesses, this is a productive and effective way for them to grow their own talent by developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.”

Vacancies are coming soon! Sign up to our Apprenticeship Vacancy Mailing list here, to be the first to hear on available vacancies. 

Nearly 30 Year 6 students from Ruishton Church of England Primary School recently spent a day at Weston College South West Skills Campus to get a taste of the construction, building services and engineering provision.

The primary school students took part in a range of engaging activities based on subjects that can be studied at South West Skills Campus on Locking Road. The learners ‘raised the roof’ by learning about how roofs are built and what makes them sturdy. Under the provision of our carpentry staff, the Year 6 students learnt how to safely use tools such as hammers and spirit levels.

Next up the enthusiastic groups got a taste ofcivil engineering and the vital role it plays worldwide. In this workshop they built boats using foil and tested their buoyancy by seeing how many marbles they could carry until they sank.

Last but not least, the group visited the motor vehicle department where they had a look around a fully operational workshop. Their newly learnt skills were put to the test as the students were tasked with replacing tyres on a car and checking the levels of the engine components.

Chris Kamin, Headteacher at Ruishton, commented “The whole day was a resounding success and a joy to be a part of. The College has great staff who showed real care and nurture towards our students. The professionalism and courtesy demonstrated was second to none. The experiences gained and knowledge shared will have a great impact on their future lives and earlier decisions”.

Steve Caldwell, head of faculty for Building, Automotive and Civil Engineering at the College added “It was amazing to see the next generation getting involved and showing such enthusiasm towards these hands on subjects. We look forward to hopefully seeing them again in the future!”

For more information on the courses available in these areas, please visit our website:

Carpentry - https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/construction

Motor Vehicle - https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/motor-vehicle

Engineering - https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/engineering