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In a time where timetables are packed out with lessons and supporting extra-curricular activities, lecturers time is more valuable than ever.

As we move further into a digital age, we’ve experienced a huge increase in the number of emails and repetitive digital communications that lecturers are having to deal with on a daily basis.

In response, we’ve teamed up with Purlos to co-design a digital assistant that will help to reduce the time spent answering repetitive questions from students.

Purlos’ mission is to drive efficiencies for academic institutions in order to focus on their students.

The purpose of this chat bot will be to answer personalised questions that learners send to lecturers over our secure sharepoint system: Microsoft Teams.

By pulling information from the internet, the state-of-the-art bot can answer questions where the answers are sometimes difficult and time consuming to find online.

Furthermore, the bot is particularly impressive when answering questions where the information is not online.

For instance, if someone asks “What time is our Maths lesson today?”, the bot will be able to send an automatic response based on the information that has been curated by the administrator.

This will therefore give learners a much faster response and save staff time by alleviating the need to respond to the same questions.

Additional benefits could also extend to distance learning where 1:1 contact is not often possible. This will enable more people to access the same help and information, whatever their circumstances. Approximately 100 students recently had the opportunity to have a trial run of the software.

Jon Hofgartner, Assistant Director in Technology Learning Resources Skills & Progression, added “Weston College offers a large range of services, support and resources for learners.

“Knowing how, when and where to access these when needed is where we feel a digital assistant can help our learners .

“This development aims to help learners find answers to common questions about their time at College as well as signpost key services.

“We’re also adding features to connect students with online videos from LinkedIn Learning to help them develop a range of skills and knowledge to give them the edge.”

Weston College is the top choice for school leavers and their parents.

As our results and achievements over the last academic year show, we provide the learning, experience and life skills that young people need to succeed.

If you choose us, your son or daughter will have all the resources and opportunities they need to grow as a person, feel happy and secure, and enjoy College life to the maximum.

The 2018-19 year brought another fantastic set of results for the College’s 16 to 18-year-old full-time students.

A Level students secured an outstanding 99% pass rate, while achievement rates across the board for 16-18-year-olds was 85% – significantly above the national average.

At Weston College we work to the maxim ‘careers not courses’. We understand that this is simply one phase in the educational journey, which is why our courses aim to prepare students for their next step – whether that’s a further course or the world of work. Extended work and industry placements also feature prominently in the curriculum of all courses.

We also work closely with local employers to tailor courses to their needs and provide them with the workforce of tomorrow.

As David Lees, CEO of Bristol Airport, said: “As a business with ambition and opportunities for exciting careers it is fantastic to be able to work in partnership with a college to develop future talent.

“The constant evolution of Weston College to deliver a successful and expanding range of skills and talented students is a shining example of best practice in our region.”

With that in mind, it’s encouraging that 95% of our full-time learners moved on to employment or further learning, with 77% of Level 3 students progressing to university. And, more than a third of those Level 3 students chose to stay with us and study a course at University Centre Weston.

Young people and their parents are voting with their feet, as applications from school leavers have continued to rise year on year – we’re clearly the provider of choice for academic and technical learning. The feedback clearly shows we’re repaying this faith, with 94% of students telling us they’re satisfied with their Weston College education.

And we understand that life at Weston College is about more than timetabled studies. Wherever you look across the College, you will see young people engaged in wider curriculum activities or enrichment opportunities – whether that relates to sport; leisure; the Students’ Union; trips; residentials; college, regional or national awards; shows; or social events.

But while we’re delighted with these achievements, we’re constantly seeking to improve every aspect of the education we provide.

Just this year, we opened the doors to two new state-of-the-art facilities – the Construction Training Centre, and Health and Active Living Skills Centre – and in 2020 we’ll be developing a £1.4 million Animal Management facility in partnership with Puxton Park.

The College is also at the forefront of Government plans to revolutionise technical qualifications. We’re one of just 54 providers selected to launch the new T Levels – the technical equivalent to A Levels – and will deliver the Digital T Level from September 2020; two years before the full roll-out.

What’s more, the College has also been awarded Centre of Excellence status for maths by the government. This is a huge boost for our maths provision and means we’ll be leading the way in designing new teaching approaches, developing high-quality resources and building teachers’ skills.