Creating brighter futures

Weston College and The Bristol Port Company have proudly won an award at the inaugural PSS Awards, at Stamford Bridge in London, celebrating their collaboration in modernising Bristol Port’s induction process.

This accolade marks a significant milestone in their joint efforts to enhance employee engagement through cutting-edge technology and interactive learning.

Bristol Port sought to move beyond the outdated methods of standard induction videos and basic multiple-choice questions, aiming for an engaging, interactive, and technologically advanced experience.

Their goal was to create an induction process that went beyond a tick-box exercise to truly immerse new employees.

The collaboration was rooted in the shared ethos of curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to innovation. Together, they developed a state-of-the-art induction programme featuring:

• Bespoke Content: Tailored to meet the unique needs of Bristol Port
• Interactivity and Innovative Design: Engaging new employees through dynamic elements
• 360-Degree Footage: Providing an immersive experience of the port environment
• Trackable Data and Digital Certification: Ensuring progress is monitored and certified digitally.

Since its implementation, the new induction process has been a huge success. New employees gain a deeper understanding of the company from day one, allowing them to transition to specialised training swiftly and effectively.

Louise Pratten, Head of Digital Education at Weston College, said: “We are so proud of the work that we have completed with The Bristol Port Company, and the fact it has been recognised on a national scale shows how impactful this has been and will be moving forward.

“Through this innovative partnership, we have set a new standard for employee engagement and training, demonstrating how strategic alliances can drive meaningful change and achieve remarkable success.”

If you would like to collaborate with Weston College, you can contact employers@weston.ac.uk

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.

On Thursday 10th of July, we held another successful ‘Takeover Day’ at the Weston Job Centre Plus. Thanks to the hard work put in the event went very well, drawing an impressive 282 customers.

Tutors and support staff across a wide range of faculties were available to have personalised one-on-one conversations with attendees, offering tailored career advice and guidance on the steps needed to achieve their professional goals, as well as information on the courses available at Weston College to help make these goals a reality.

The feedback from the Job Centre Plus customers has been overwhelmingly positive. Many attendees expressed how beneficial they found the day, praising the valuable advice and guidance they received. The additional services, such as haircuts and nail treatments, were also a huge hit, adding a special touch that made the event even more enjoyable and memorable.

The strength of our partnership with Job Centre Plus and DWP was evident throughout the day. This collaboration is the cornerstone of our ability to organise events like these, which have a profound and positive impact on our customers. By working together, we can continue to put on events which provide comprehensive support that addresses various needs, making a real difference to people’s lives.

Over the next week, our course advisors will be collaborating closely with Job Centre Plus customers who have expressed interest in our courses. They will assist these customers with their enrolment forms, ensuring they have everything necessary to embark on their new journey towards employment and personal development.

In November, we will be hosting another 'Weston College Takeover Day' at the Weston Job Centre Plus. Stay tuned for more details coming soon!

Two of our media learners, Joshua and Harvey, have been given the exciting opportunity to edit video content for Somerset FA, allowing them to put the skills they have learned throughout their course into practice. As part of this hands-on experience, the students will attend Somerset FA's Premier Cup final on July 31st, where they will create engaging content to highlight the event.

The experience of this collaboration so far has been both a fun and educational experience in sports media production, enhancing the learners skills and portfolios. Working closely with Somerset FA, the learners are set to gain valuable insights into professional video editing and sports event coverage, paving the way for their future careers in the media industry!

Rob Allan, Football Development Manager at Somerset FA:

"Somerset FA are really pleased to be working with Weston College media and production students. Conversations have been taking place with various department for a number of weeks and we’ve now taken the first steps with some really enthusiastic students helping us to edit many hours of our cup final footage. There are lots more plans for future collaboration and we’re hopeful this is the start of a promising partnership that will benefit all parties for years to come." 

Harvey:

“It’s been an amazing opportunity for me to work with the Somerset FA and I am grateful that they put their trust in us as well. I found the experience really interesting as it’s almost working for a client in the field of work I want to get into and it’s the first time I have been able to put my own creative vision across. I have learned how to edit on a software I have never used before and it’s taken some great adaptability skills to do that. It’s going to massively help me with my work as it will boost my skills when editing for clients and give me that confidence to go on to do other projects in the future.”

Joshua:

“It’s a great experience to work alongside my biggest passion in football and especially for something as big as the Somerset FA , I am finding the experience really fun whilst also learning how new software's work such as the Veo Cams which are used a lot in football.”

If you would like to follow in the footsteps of Harvey and Joshua, check out our Media courses here. This partnership with Somerset FA is part of our ever-expanding Careers Excellence Hub (CEH).