We always love to hear about the fantastic accomplishments our alumni achieve.

Art & Design learners were recently visited by ex-students who are now studying arts at prestigious universities.

All three of these ex students studied the UAL Foundation Diploma in Art & Design and visited current students to inform them first hand about the benefits of staying on and completing this unique course. Scroll down to read what they had to say!

Peter Misson, 50, of Locking Road, was reluctant to come on the Changes course - aimed at those making the transition from Incapacity Benefit and Employment Support Allowance - because he suffers from dyslexia and hasn’t worked for a long time.

But after completing the course at the College’s Training Solutions in Locking Road, Peter has now gone on to a higher course and hopes either to enter employment or full-time education.

“I didn’t want to come on the course at all,” he said, “because I felt I wasn’t good around people and found it hard to engage. But after just two weeks I found my attitude had changed tremendously. I always thought I’d struggle in groups, but the others on the course, and the staff, were fantastic to be with.”

Peter, a former warehouse manager, said the Weston College staff had been ‘very understanding’, which had given him the confidence to think he could break out of the benefits cycle.

“They helped me to realise that I was capable of being around people and actually enjoy that,” he said. “I’ve now got my CV up together, plus a covering letter, and I’m thinking about a much brighter future.”

Changes is a four week course focusing on several areas including IT, Healthy Eating, Employability Skills and volunteering. The course culminates with an event the participants organise themselves.

Peter has now gone on to the College’s Aspire course, which teaches employability skills. “Weston College has changed my life,” he said. “I feel much more confident and I’ve really surprised myself.”

Laura Leadbetter, Peter’s Trainer Assessor on the Changes course, said his story was just one of a number of similar transformational stories resulting from the course.

“Some of the learners have been off work a long time, and have suffered from various illnesses which have kept them away from work. However, there has been a tremendous amount of positivity around Changes and because we treat people as individuals we find we get excellent results, as with Peter. He enjoyed the course so much he asked if he could do it again!

“We wish him all the best of luck for his future.”

A new recruitment agency to help companies interested in employing apprentices has been launched by Weston College.

Brighter Futures Recruitment will enable employers to enjoy the benefits of recruiting new workers through apprenticeship schemes without having to worry about bureaucracy or long-term commitments.

The agency will provide two new apprenticeship models designed to suit the needs of every business, as well as the traditional apprenticeship model.

The traditional model is where the apprentice is employed directly by the business, and the training provider is Weston College, which was rated ‘Outstanding’ at its last Ofsted inspection.

However, for companies that require greater flexibility, Brighter Futures Recruitment offers a new service whereby the agency acts as the employer on behalf of the business and deals with all paperwork and legalities.

This option has two models. One is the Apprenticeship Training Agency (ATA) Probation Model, in which the apprentice is employed by the agency for an agreed amount of time and the prospective employer can observe them in their work environment before offering direct employment.

The other is the ATA model, which involves the apprentice being employed by the agency for the duration of their apprenticeship.

Helen Booker, Contracts Manager at Brighter Futures Recruitment, explained: “This is a unique recruitment agency, which aims to place apprentices in employment and to support companies interested in employing an apprentice, but concerned about the demands involved in taking on more staff.

“We appreciate that every business is different so we offer various models of apprenticeships for employers.

"We can support them in finding and hiring the perfect candidate and then act as the employer for an agreed amount of time.”

Brighter Futures Recruitment is based within the Business Enterprise Centre at the Weston College South West Skills Campus.

Dr Paul Phillips OBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “We are delighted to be delivering the new ATA models in conjunction with the National Apprenticeship Service to help businesses of any size to discover the value of having an apprentice.”

For further information on Brighter Futures Recruitment, go to www.brighterfuturesrecruitment.co.uk or call 01934 411 594.