A common misconception about apprenticeships is that they are aimed at school-leavers making their first entrance into the world of work, typically in a technical or engineering role.

Despite the majority of apprentices being 16–18-year-olds, it is increasingly common to see people in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, sixties and beyond going down the apprenticeship route in pursuit of a career change, in almost every industry.

Andy Dolman, a firefighter at Avon Fire and Rescue, was previously working for himself doing property maintenance. Despite running a successful business, Andy had always harboured ambitions to join the fire and rescue service and was “trying for years” to land a full-time firefighter position.

Firefighters can sometimes serve up to 20-30 years in the service, and so full-time openings can be scarce. Undeterred, Andy applied to become an on-call firefighter and was successful in landing the part-time role at Avon Fire and Rescue.

Having got a taste of life in fire and rescue on-call, an opportunity arose in April 2022 for Andy to take on our Level 3 Operational Firefighter Apprenticeship, putting him on course to make it his full-time career.

The 2-year apprenticeship combined on the job learning responding to incidents in Bristol with 8 hours of study per week at our Knightstone Campus.

Andy said, “The blend of classroom-based learning and on-the job training was ideal grounding for the rigours of the job. On the job I learnt a lot about dealing with different scenarios and how to use equipment on the fire appliance and got hands on running the station and maintaining all of our equipment,”

"During our basic training, we developed a strong foundation in the statutory responsibilities of a firefighter, ensuring compliance with legal and procedural requirements.”

“We also honed essential interpersonal skills, such as identifying individuals in need of additional support and making appropriate referrals to partner agencies, reinforcing our role in safeguarding, community fire safety and resilience."

“Whilst undoubtedly a fantastic opportunity, life as an apprentice firefighter can be tough. You are put through your paces, and it is a balancing act coping with the physical demands of the role and keeping on top of your studies.”

Despite finishing his apprenticeship year ago, Andy remains eager to develop and learn.

“I really enjoy working for Avon Fire and Rescue Service. There is always lots to do but everyone who works here is helpful and there is always opportunity for development.”

Find out more about our Operational Firefighter Apprenticeship 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.

We are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding success of William Palmer, a former Foundation Art & Design student at Weston College, who has been recognised with the top award at London Fashion Week. William was honoured with the prestigious L'Oréal Professional Creative Award for his MA show at the renowned Central Saint Martins (CSM).

William’s exceptional talent and creative vision shone through at the Central Saint Martins MA Fashion press show, where his work captivated the industry’s leading figures. The winners were selected by none other than Yu Masui, the eccentric Japanese influencer and talent scout for the esteemed LVMH Prize, further solidifying William’s place among fashion’s rising stars.

Since his Foundation year at Weston College, William has built on that knowledge and had a lot of experience with products before landing a place at CSM. He was hired by Dover Street Market to produce collections for Gosha Rubchinskiy and later oversaw the product development of brands under the Dover Street Market Paris umbrella, such as ERL.

During the show, William was one of the very few who showed clothes that could be immediately sold on a shop floor, including an oversized duffle coat, a check shirt, and a trench coat.

It was a fun collection, too. “I took the tongue-in-cheek attitude of lad culture, subverting it through funny fabrics, like the tea towels, and the teacup hats. I use humour a lot also. I drew parallels between adolescence and adulthood. I’m trying to make a more playful, carefree type of guy. The world would be better for everyone,” William added.

Image courtesy of Women's Wear Daily

The Foundation Art & Design course at Weston College provided William with the skills and techniques required to get into Central Saint Martins at the University of the Arts London, saying, “My pre-degree course provided me with essential foundational skills, basic knowledge, and the opportunity to develop a portfolio that ultimately helped me secure further studies. 

It was during my A-Level studies at Weston College that I first discovered my drive to pursue fashion design. Following that, I enrolled in an Art Foundation course, which became one of my most memorable years. Surrounded by a diverse group of creatives from various backgrounds, I had the chance to specialize in fashion for the first time. This focused approach allowed me to take my passion seriously, equipping me with the skills and confidence to continue my studies in London.

Rachel Clayton, William's former tutor at Weston College's Foundation Art & Design programme, shared his pride: "William's dedication and innovative approach were evident from the start. I am over the moon to see him receive such a distinguished honour. His journey from a dedicated Foundation Art & Design learner at Weston College to receiving one of the most coveted accolades in the fashion industry is truly inspiring. This achievement is a testament to his hard work, passion, and innovative approach to fashion design.”

His former tutors and everyone at Weston College are incredibly proud of this remarkable milestone in his career. We look forward to seeing his continued success and influence in the fashion world.

To see more of William's amazing designs, check out his Instagram @williampalmer_uk

If you are interested in applying to our UAL Foundation Art & Design course, 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.

Recently, our Year 2 Level 3 Film, TV and Creative Production students have been working hard over the last four weeks to create a range of promotional content for local charities. Each group had a different charity, taking into consideration the charity’s aims and goals in order to create meaningful content that reflected the values and integrity of the organisation.

There were six groups in total with 4 students within each group. With 4 weeks to prepare, each learner took charge of a role whilst making sure they worked together to maintain consistency and create a strong campaign. They had to ensure they considered their target audience when designing their aims and plans, as well as take the branding on board to reflect the charity.

The six charities included Weston Foodbank, Rainbow Trust, Cleaner Coastlines, You Are My Sunshine, The Space, and In Charley’s Memory. These Somerset-based charities focus on a range of different issues that not only effect individuals and their families but also focus on the community.

The learners worked hard to create effective promotional content that not only gave them real-world experience in working with clients, but it also provided each charity with additional free publicity that they can also use, including graphics, posters, informative presentations, and long and short-form videos to bring to light what the charity does.

The long-form and short-form videos were well thought-out and executed professionally, and, in many of them, lots of B-Roll was used to show the behind-the-scenes of the charity and give people a better understanding of what they do. The students also independently organised interviews with members of the charities to add a more personal perspective and get to know the team behind the organisation.

The research that went into each project was clear, and the relationships they built with these organisations were fantastic, gaining glowing feedback from the charity members who attended the showcase, with many expressing how extremely grateful they were to work with the students and gain some additional publicity and support.

Jenna Meyrick, Social Media Officer from In Charley’s Memory charity, added, “the team were brilliant to work with, very polite and eager to ask all the questions they could. The products they've produced will be very useful for our social media plans and for promoting the work we do. It will help relieve the stress a new client feels.

Dawn Carey (CEO) and I would like to say that being able to work with young people on projects like this is so important to making sure our work remains relevant to the community at large.”

One of our Media lecturers, Mel Edmonds, exclaimed how thrilled she was with her students, and the cooperation of the charities, saying, “it has been a privilege to work with these Somerset-based charities. The students have spent the past few weeks working alongside the staff and volunteers as part of their Social Action project.

It has been a great achievement to produce professional content for the charities to help and support their incredible work in the community.”

Overall, our Level 3 Film, TV and Creative Production students worked extremely hard to produce professional content and publicise these amazing local charities. The learners gained a lot from this project! They now have a better understanding of the impact of giving back to the community and what kinds of fantastic work these organisations do to make our area better in every way. Not only this, it gave them the chance to work together as a team to create many pieces of promotional content that will be used in a real-world setting.

A big well done to all of the students who took part in this, you did a fantastic job and promoted yourselves and the college in a highly professional manner. We’d also like to thank the charities who took the time to help our learners with this project, educating them about what they do and putting themselves forward for interviews - they could not have done this without your cooperation.

If you’d like to join one of our Media courses in September, click here.