One of our T Level Business and Management students, Luke, has shone outside the classroom by being part of the Somerset Disabled Cricket Club who have just been crowned National Champions in the D40 Pursuit Title after a 3-wicket win over Middlesex at Corsham Cricket Club last month.

The final was a rain-reduced, 25-over match played at Corsham in Wiltshire. Somerset Disabled CC won the toss and elected to bowl, bowling the opposition out for 108 runs. Luke took an impressive three wickets as part of an outstanding all-round team fielding performance. Somerset then chased down the target with just two balls to spare in a nail-biting finish! This fantastic achievement even received recognition on BBC Points West Breakfast, highlighting the team’s success.

Luke has been playing cricket for 3 years for both Lympsham and Belvedere Cricket Club, and Somerset Disabled Cricket Club, during this he has been working towards the D40 Pursuit Title which is a county-level National championship for the top domestic cricket players with physical, learning disabilities or hearing loss.

Luke shared why he loves cricket, saying, “2 years ago, I had 4 operations on both my legs and feet which meant I had a lengthy recovery time of 6 months and am still continuing physio, but the thought of getting back on the field kept me going. Cricket is a sport I can play with friends and compete against able-bodied people on a level playing field which I enjoy, and I also find the statistics side of the game interesting with the aim to improve my levels year on year.”

Luke encourages anyone considering getting involved with clubs or sports outside of college to do it, “I enjoy the banter and encouragement of my teammates. It has given me lifelong connections and relationships, and being involved in a club teaches you to be part of a team and a community.”

A huge well done to Luke and the team for this incredible win, and we look forward to hearing about your future achievements in the cricket field.

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.

Earlier this month, our Digital students took part in the CSIDES Cyber Security event to give our students a deeper understanding of the different careers within the Digital industry and network with professionals to gain valuable advice and guidance following their course.

CSIDES is an initiative that embodies Cyber, Coastal, and Community. It is a community-led cyber security event held at The Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare, designed to make cyber security more accessible to the public, businesses and students. It is the UK's first cyber security event built by and for a coastal community.

The event brings together cyber security professionals, industry experts, educators and local organisations for a day of expert talks, interactive workshops and networking opportunities. Topics include online safety, recognising scams and phishing attempts, protecting personal and business data, and understanding the different career opportunities available within the cyber security industry.

The main aim of CSIDES is to improve digital awareness and confidence within coastal communities, helping individuals and businesses protect themselves online while inspiring more people to explore careers in the growing cyber security sector. For students, it provides valuable opportunities to develop their knowledge, gain practical insights from industry professionals and discover potential career pathways.

Attending the CSIDES Cyber Security event provides Digital and Computing students with a valuable opportunity to explore the rapidly evolving world of cyber security and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges facing organisations in an increasingly digital society. By engaging with industry professionals and learning about current cyber threats, online safety, data protection and the importance of secure digital systems, students can develop their knowledge beyond the classroom and see how their studies apply to real-world scenarios.

The event also helps students discover the wide range of career opportunities available within the cyber security and wider digital industries, from ethical hacking and network security to digital forensics and cyber threat analysis. Hearing directly from professionals can inspire students to consider future career pathways, understand the skills and qualifications employers look for, and appreciate the importance of keeping up to date with emerging technologies. Experiences such as this help prepare students for progression into higher education or employment, while highlighting the vital role cyber security plays in protecting individuals, businesses and society.

Sean Shearing, Head of Digital Curriculum at Weston College, said, “Events like this provide our students with valuable, real-world knowledge from experts in the field, giving them first-hand experience of the challenges and opportunities within the cyber security industry. It allows them to build on what they learn in the classroom, gain insight into the latest developments in cyber security, and explore the diverse career pathways available to them. Opportunities like these are invaluable in helping our students develop the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to progress into the digital and computing industries.”

This curriculum trip forms part of the Digital 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 Digital! 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.

Hello readers, my name is Tom Hart, and I am studying the Business and Administration T level at Weston College. I would love to tell you about my industry placement at Yugo and what it involves.

My placement at Yugo involves me working closely with the finance team, together we process payments and manage all the financial aspects of Yugo around Europe. My role specifically is to help my colleagues ensure that the finances are accurate, delivered, and received on time. I spend a lot of time using systems like Xelix, NetSuite and Excel. I use these systems to create lots of information regarding Yugo’s finances. I am also very familiar with doing the physical post, some days involved me opening over 200 pieces of physical mail. 

All of these processes might seem small scale, but they actually help Yugo keep their tenants organised and up to date with their payments, there are over 160,000 tenants that are apart of Yugo. The work that I do alone helps to cover thousands of these students and makes sure that their payments get through consistently allowing them to use Yugo’s services.

I have been learning many different skills that can really benefit my future career, things like accuracy, which is one of the most important things that I have learned, has been key in every piece of work I do for Yugo. Having access to all of the experience around me is a huge benefit not only because of the knowledge they hold but also because of what they can give, and it has allowed me to learn much further than I thought I would have.

After arriving at the office, my first job is creating and processing invoices, normally I cover the Spanish invoices, but I also help do the Ireland invoices. Once that is completed, I help to organise the spreadsheets that a colleague may need help with, this can allow them to work on a further task at the same time as teaching me what I am doing with all the information and what my work leads to. Occasionally, I will make a trip down to the bank to transfer some cheques, or head down to the post office to post some mail. Finally, I have also been introduced into processing money into the business, allowing me to receive payments and send money out as well. My days normally vary but this is the main jobs that I do.

I have received lots of support from both Yugo and Weston College. Yugo have offered me many resources and different types of support due to me working a large amount of my time at home. My colleagues also have been very friendly with teaching and showing me what to do and if I ever go wrong, the environment feels like a very level playing field where everyone is equal, no matter the title or role.

Weston College have also offered lots of support, offering to help me find another placement if Yugo couldn’t offer me what I was looking for, as well as helping me to adapt what I have learnt with Yugo.

Weston College have given me more than enough resources through teaching whether it involves using real world systems like excel or understanding different sectors of business. Fortunately, my finance units in college have aligned with some of the work I do at Yugo, allowing me to learn Yugo’s processes quicker than I thought I would have, also allowing me to work independently more often.

Some of the skills I have learnt include accuracy, communication, and understanding real life processes. These have allowed me to improve my formality, quality of work, and how well I work in a team. These skills will be beneficial to me in the future due to me wanting to pursue a career in finance and business. I have always found it difficult when someone asks me what I want to do when I am older, but this course and the placement have really helped me decide what I want to pursue when I’m older.

A standout moment for me was when a colleague gave me a piece of work to do that, he had been stuck on for a while, he explained to me that it was a long task that was taking him weeks to finish, so he asked me to have a go to get some more progress in, he said he expected that it would take me a few weeks to complete. So, when I completed the piece of work by the end of the day, the look of shock and appreciation on his face made me realise the good feeling of doing some hard work, and because of that it will be a standout moment for me for a long time.