A College Apprentice has scooped the South West Regional heat of a National SPARKS* competition that could see him test his skills in Brazil.

Liam Bennet, 18, of Ebdon Road, Worle, competed at Bridgwater College against nine South West colleges, gaining 170 out of 200 points – 30 more than his nearest rival.

Weston College Building Services and Environmental Technology Manager, Christopher Simpson, said: “Liam has done brilliantly and we’re really proud of him.

A Weston College apprentice is through to the finals of a prestigious skills competition after a stunning display of his catering-related work in London.

Max Bennett, a Level Three Supervisory and Leadership Apprentice , currently works at the Marco Pierre White Restaurant at the Doubletree at Hilton Cadbury House venue in Congresbury, North Somerset.

 

An upsurge in the number of apprenticeships arranged by Weston College is being matched by a dramatic growth in vacancies.

In October, the College helped to fill 35 vacancies, a 120 per cent increase on the same time last year and a record for the College.

The areas of business administration and catering/hospitality are particularly busy, with more vacancies cropping up every day.

In addition, Weston College has taken on 10 apprentices of its own in various roles.

James Wilmot, Weston College's Apprenticeship Recruitment Co-ordinator, said: “We've worked very hard over the last 12 months to improve the recruitment rate and that work has really paid off. Vacancies are increasing all the time and show no signs of slowing down.

“The good thing is that these are not ‘low grade’ jobs that have no worth. They are with strongly-performing companies committed to the training and development of all their staff, including apprentices, which shows the calibre of companies we are working with.”

Employers include North Somerset Council and Weston Area Health Trust, along with a wide variety of restaurants, hotels, garages, hair and beauty salons and estate agents.

James describes it as a 'win-win' situation. He said: “Employers get young people who are enthusiastic, eager to learn and willing to show a keen interest. The apprentices gain on-the-job experience, qualifications and an income while they learn.”

Emily Taylor, 18, from Milton, is currently working as an Apprentice Receptionist and Business Administrator at Weston College's Business and Enterprise Centre (BEC) in Locking Road.

In her teens she lived in the United States and when her family returned to the UK she wasn't sure what career path to follow. After an interview with Weston College she decided to take up their apprenticeship offer.

“I never thought I'd work in an office,” she said, “but I was attracted by the combination of work and study. Being a receptionist is a much more involved job than I expected, but everyone at BEC is very helpful and supportive.

“I see the apprenticeship as a platform for what I'd like to do in the future. I'd like to be a PA, and maybe go back to America to work. For now, this is a fantastic way of gaining work experience and qualifications at the same time. You're given a lot of support and I can't recommend it highly enough.”
 

For more information about studying at Weston College visit http://www.weston.ac.uk or call 01934 411411. You can also visit http://www.facebook.com/apprenticeshipvacancies for the latest apprenticeship vacancies with Weston College. 

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