The College is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week (March 3-8) with a series of events and initiatives aimed at encouraging young people to take up a new career.

A touring roadshow, a pop-up shop in Weston-super-Mare’s Sovereign Centre and input into a Skills event at the Winter Gardens are just some of the College’s activities during the week.

The week also marks the launch of ‘100 in 100’, a College-led bid, supported by the National Apprenticeship Service and the Weston Mercury newspaper, to create 100 new Apprenticeships in 100 days. One of the key aims of the campaign is to raise awareness of the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE), which is available for eligible businesses who take on a young apprentice.

On Monday March 3 a pop-up shop will open in the Sovereign Centre and run until Sat March 8, offering information and advice.

A strong emphasis on Apprenticeships will be seen at the Skills Show, taking place at the Winter Gardens on Tuesday March 4. More than 3,000 people are expected at the European Social Fund and Local Enterprise Partnership-funded event, where they will be able to talk to dozens of local and regional employers and other training providers, and enjoy taster sessions in catering, construction, business, hair and beauty and healthcare. Local schoolchildren will be among the visitors to the event which is open from 10am-2pm for school groups and 3pm-7pm for the general public.

The College is also taking a mini version of the Skills Show out on the road, visiting eight schools including ones in Bridgwater, Clevedon and Nailsea. Children will be given an introduction to Apprenticeships, including a talk from an employer, and again, taster sessions will be on offer.

Weston College is the biggest facilitator of Apprenticeship programmes in the region and its Training Solutions, based at the South West Skills Campus on Locking Road, Weston, was set up to provide businesses with relevant and flexible training programmes.

In recent years a huge growth in the number of Apprenticeships has been witnessed, with leaps of more than 100 per cent year-on-year.

James Wilmot, the College’s Apprenticeship Recruitment Coordinator, said: “National Apprenticeship Week is the highlight of our year and 2014 looks to be our most successful yet with the message being spread far and wide.

“We work with a fantastic range of employers and more are getting involved all the time.

“Apprenticeships are a fantastic alternative to full time college-based study and our activities during National Apprenticeship Week are a great way for everyone to get all the information they need while trying out the different career routes on offer.”

Weston College is working with West of England local authorities to develop and deliver a bespoke flagship apprenticeship scheme.

The West of England Civil/Highways Apprenticeship Programme is being created with Bristol City Council, Bath & North East Somerset Council, North Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council.

The aim of the collaborative approach is to address the current skills shortage while also focusing on finding future employees and growing talent within the unitary authorities.

Liz Redwood, Head of Weston College’s Training Solutions said: “This is an innovative and collaborative approach by the authorities, helping them to address issues around staff recruitment and retention.

“The authorities recognise that the pipeline of major developments coming forward across the West of England and South West, along with the potential impact of the new Hinkley Point C (HPC) development, could exacerbate these issues.”

The bespoke West of England Civil/Highways Apprenticeship Programme has been designed to meet identified joint requirements of the authorities.

It will comprise up to 13 apprentices, across the four authorities. Each apprentice will be employed directly by one of the authorities and will undertake the majority of the apprenticeship there, but will have opportunities to rotate around the four authorities to gain experience in different areas of specialisms. One day a week the apprentices will attend Weston College’s new Future Technology Centre at the South West Skills Campus for further training.

In addition to providing technical skills and experience, the apprenticeships will also focus upon personal development. Each apprentice will work towards a Level 3 Civil Engineering and Technical Support Apprenticeship, which includes units on construction technology; construction and design; science and maths for construction; construction processes and operations; tendering and estimating and exploring civil engineering.

The first wave of vacancies will be advertised on our website from 1st February, with further vacancies being advertised during National Apprenticeship Week (March 14th-18th).

Dr Paul Phillips, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “Weston College is delighted to be working in partnership with the West of England unitary authorities, helping them to deliver a bespoke, pro-active and innovative approach to planning for their future skills requirements.”

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.