City & Guilds Group recently published a report, entitled ‘People Power’, exploring how employers are, and will be, affected by the UK Skills Gap. They polled over 1000 employers and found that 89% struggled to recruit the skilled staff they need. They also felt that the UK education system was failing to create the skills required, with 38% stating this as the reason they struggle to recruit. Closing the skills gap certainly isn’t going to be an easy fix, but there are lots of ways Weston College are tackling the issue.

As a college, we pride ourselves in preparing our learners not just for exams and assessments, but for the workplace. This is reflected in our facilities, which mimic real life workplaces. Some operate as commercial businesses, for example our Hair and Beauty Centre and The Grove Restaurant. This opportunity to work with real customers develops our learners’ transferrable skills, such as teamwork and communication, as well as their sector specific skills.

We are continuing to develop this provision with our new Health and Active Living Skills Centre, which will create teaching environments for health and social care learners. According to the People Power report, care workers and nurses will grow the most as occupations over the next 6 years. Our facility will offer courses from Level 1 to degree-level, with the aim to address the current and future skills shortage within the healthcare workforce.

One of our key values as a college is to be responsive to the needs of businesses and the community, and, in reflection of this, the new centre was designed in consultation with health sector employers. Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, said: “The development will bring together the College’s health and social care, sports therapy and active living curricula into one bespoke facility, which will benefit our students as well as the wider community.

As well as providing qualifications to people new to the healthcare sector, the Health and Active Living Skills Centre will also work with local and regional employers to upskill and retrain their existing staff.”

Weston College learners benefit not only from these facilities, but also from outstanding teaching staff who are experts in their field. Many of our staff come from industry, and are in fact still working in their trades, so are able to transfer skills to our learners required not just by the syllabus, but by employers. They work to develop a curriculum, which reflects local and national trends in terms of employment, which is particularly apparent in our apprenticeship provision.

The School of Food Apprenticeship scheme, will seek to address the recruitment gap in the local catering and hospitality industry. On this scheme, apprentices attend weekly masterclasses with professional chefs, offering them the opportunity to develop current and competitive skills.

In addition to their study programme, Weston College learners receive Careers Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) from their in-house award winning ASPECT team. Through the employability tutorial programme, learners have the opportunity to explore their career options and improve their skills in areas such as job applications and interviews. The team also offer 1:1 appointments and a drop in service to provide tailored IAG. Members of the team are kept up to date with local and national trends in employment through CPD activities such as the Business West Next Generation Careers Review, the National Graduate Careers Conference and Inside Government’s Women in STEM event.

ASPECT’s offer is predominately aimed at 14-18 year olds, and is complemented by the College’s 19+ provision. In addition to the adult course and careers IAG delivered by our College Information Service, a National Careers Service Advisor offers appointments to support career exploration and skills development for learners aged 19+.

We also recognise that employer engagement with learners is a crucial element of IAG. A particularly successful example of this is our annual Brighter Futures Fair, which last year brought together 49 employers and universities in an event attended by over 1500 Weston College learners. They had the opportunity to meet local and national employers, and ask questions about the skills and qualifications they needed, resulting in 82% saying they felt more confident about their future options after the event. After the success of last year, we are continuing to develop this event, which will next take place on Thursday 8th November 2018.

We are not naïve about the problem the skills gap poses, particularly within more specialised and senior roles, but we recognise the difference we can make as a large educational provider. We aim to continue and to grow our initiatives to create brighter futures not just for our learners, but for businesses and our community as a whole.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m Lauren Smith, I’m 20 years old and have high-functioning autism.

I’m an ex-student of Weston Bay, currently studying a degree in Special Education with the University East of London. I also volunteer for People First and The Curly Hair Project.

I’m passionate about raising awareness and supporting others with autism, which I do through autism awareness events. I have an upcoming event on 6th April - Autism Networking Day. This free event will be open to young people, parents and professionals and there will be a chance to participate in well-being activities, learn about local support services and listen to young people’s perspectives. It's being held at Locking Castle Church (Weston-super-Mare) from 11.30-3.30pm.

I have written a book called ‘Tick Tock: It’s Time to Listen’, which is a poetry book based on my experiences of living with autism and navigating the education system. Join me at my book launch on 5th April at Weston Museum. 

My ambition is to set up my own autism awareness business.

What did you study at Weston College?

I studied Level 2 Health and Social Care at Weston College and then progressed to a Level 3 Extended Project Qualification, where I was awarded a distinction and A*.

I particularly enjoyed the independent research project, focusing on autism and effective support within education.

When studying at Weston College, I did encounter difficulties in the mainstream environment so I turned to Weston Bay (the College’s specialist facility for people on the autism spectrum), for additional support. I worked through an independent living programme at Weston Bay and accessed a few of their social activities.

Do you have any fun stories or fond memories of your time here?

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Disneyland Paris with Weston Bay and enjoyed sharing my fundraising efforts. During my time at College, I held a cake sale, participated in an autism awareness walk and dressed up in 30 different fancy dress outfits to fundraise for the National Autistic Society. I organised and participated in a BBC report to promote Weston Bay and also represented the College at an anti-bullying champion event at a local primary school.

How did Weston College and Weston Bay help you get where you are today?

They helped me:

• Develop my confidence and social skills
• Make new friends
• Meet like-minded people, which helped me to realise what I wanted to do as a career
• Be more determined and hard work to become a stronger person and create opportunities for myself.

Do you have any advice to future students?

• Be yourself! Try and work towards your passions, regardless of whether or not you are good at it.
• Tell someone if you are struggling. It’s okay to ask for help! Make sure you stand up for yourself and strive to get your voice heard.
• Don’t let obstacles get in the way of what you want to achieve. We can all achieve – we may just need to take different paths to get to our destination.

Anything else you would like to add?

Weston Bay is an excellent facility and can offer effective support alongside a mainstream course. However, as autism is a lifelong condition, the struggles still exist and, without appropriate, consistent support, it can have a devastating effect.

I would like to see more support and, in light of this, have set up a Weston Bay alumni group on social media to allow ex-Weston Bay students to keep in contact and support each other. I organise monthly social activities, including meals out, bowling and Airhop. I have set up a Facebook page called ‘My Rainbow Life’ where I share experiences and support others with autism.

Our motto ‘Creating Brighter Futures’ is clearly evident within our sporting provision.

As well as boasting fantastic facilities – including the brand-new Health and Active Living Centre (HALC) – our outstanding courses form a range of progression pathways, which have resulted in four former students being employed in our sport faculty.

We sat down with Matt, Dan, Liam and Sarah (pictured left to right) and asked them about their experiences and how the College has developed over the years.

We cannot wait to continue to build on our existing success and create brighter futures for more young people. Click here for more information on Sport courses.