The world of work is changing. Young people are coming out of mainstream education every year and looking to build sustainable, meaningful career paths that will not only enable them to reach their full potential in the workplace, but also contribute to the communities they live in and work for.

The earlier that organisations understand this and make these connections (by helping to influence content and opportunities), the easier it is for employers to build a workforce infrastructure fit for purpose and the future and find those individuals who are its future.

This is why we (the Soil Association) are passionate about supporting Weston College’s Business Career Excellence Hub.

The Career Excellence Hub allows us to support the future generation by:

• Co-designing the training provision
• Helping to create an inspirational learning experience
• Providing the skills training required for us and the wider industry
• Giving learners a real-life context to their studies – the barriers and opportunities of the workplace
• Creating a space for soft skills to be developed further

Weston College is an excellent further and higher education provider – one which has a fantastic reputation locally for supporting employers to build progressive, creative and agile employees. As a UK charity, we want to align ourselves with organisations like them, as we can inspire each other to positively impact the future workforce of our industry.

We are only in the early stages of this partnership through the Business Career Excellence Hubs, but I am excited to see the impact that this will have for years to come.

Katie Dominy, Head of HR, Soil Association 

The Automotive industry is exciting and dynamic. Cars are everywhere, and they often need servicing, repairs and enhancements!

The Automotive Career Excellence Hub is a way for Weston College learners to enter industry while being supported the whole way through. Learners have the chance to get vital experience in what a mechanic’s workshop is actually like which will prove incredibly useful for their future career.

Learners will benefit from meeting mechanics and being able to get their foot in the door early for future employment in these workshops. Some of the skills learned in these work placements could include body repairs, paint, working on interior & trim, and repairing the electrical systems on a vehicle.

Careers that learners in the Automotive Career Excellence Hub can go into include being a vehicle technician, mechanic or electrician, vehicle body repairer, vehicle paint technician, or a parts salesperson or advisor. These careers are lucrative, with individuals in these roles earning a good living. For example, a vehicle technician earns on average £26,068.

On top of attending the Career Excellence Hub, learners will be able to study at one of our three full-size Automotive workshops at the South West Skills Campus. This area features working vehicle ramps and all of the tools that learners will find in industry. The Automotive team also has several cars which can be worked on by learners to learn crucial skills such as servicing, diagnostics and repair. These vehicles are changed and updated frequently to provide further experience of different models and issues.

For more information on how to apply to Weston College and join our amazing Career Excellence Hub for Automotive, click here. 

There's a big push at Weston College to make sure all of our students gain English and maths at Level 2.

This is because English and maths are important skills that will benefit you in many ways, including your studies, your future employment, and your general wellbeing.

Having a good understanding of English and maths is more important than you might realise and every course that we offer includes English and maths development.

The Digital industry is growing at a quick pace – 6x quicker than any other industry in the UK, with lots of exciting opportunities to work with the latest technology available in the area.

In order to meet the growing demand of industry, we have launched our brand-new Digital Career Excellence Hub, which provides opportunities for our learners to develop the skills needed by local employers – and get a head start on their career!

Students will use ‘real world learning’, with a curriculum that is co-designed by our employer endorsers, focussing on employer briefs and real-life scenarios to encourage up to the minute workplace problem solving. On top of that, as a Microsoft Showcase College, we will upskill learners with the latest digital tools and technologies.

As mentioned, skills is a critical element of our Digital Career Excellence Hub, with learners working on their hard skills such as:

• Vendor Certifications
• Systems Thinking
• E-safety
• Commercial Awareness
• Research

And their soft skills as well, some which include:

• Problem Solving
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Organisation
• Innovation

Digital organisation, Eloquent Technologies is one of our digital endorsers, and their Managing Director, David Ford said: “The biggest constraint to growth is finding exceptional talent. We partner with Weston College to future proof our business, working with young talent, which has proved to be an effective pathway for our business.”

Through this partnership, and the Career Excellence Hub, our digital learners have the opportunity to gain vital work experience with local employers like Eloquent Technologies, which is a real benefit to those studying courses with us at Weston College.

You can find out more about our Career Excellence Hubs, and the benefits that they bring, here.

Our Fashion and Textiles learners have worked all term practicing their skills and considering contemporary print designs that could be used in high street stores. Take a look at some of the amazing designs. 

All of our Creative Arts courses are taught at our Loxton Campus, the home, heart, and hub of creative arts in Weston! Learners are taught by industry professionals, and are encouraged to find their voice, express their personality in a multitude of art forms and blossom beyond their expectations. 

As a student on our Level 3 UAL Extended Diploma in Fashion and Textiles course learners are given the chance to explore fashion and develop their understanding of fashion by experiencing varied disciplines across fashion design, production, digital media, communication, and fashion business. The course offers the exciting opportunity for our learners to embrace textile art, textile design and elements of fashion looking at the design industry from an artist’s perspective. It introduces our learners to the contemporary approach of the industry and encourage them to flourish as potential textile designers. 

The Fashion and Textiles courses are a part of the Creative Arts Career Excellence Hub. These innovative subject specific hubs allow for students at Weston College to have access to exclusive opportunities. Endorsed by employers from within the industry, this enables for better integration with the sector to make sure class content is relative and opens doors for learners, so they leave college with more than just a qualification. 

Click here to:

• Learn more about the Fashion and Textiles A Level course
• Find out more about the Level 3 UAL Fashion and Textiles course
• Discover the Art & Design courses on offer
• Read more about Career Excellence Hubs 

The Hospitality industry has always been dynamic and exciting to work in, and with restrictions lifting and everyone resuming life as normal, restaurants and hotels are hiring more staff than ever! This industry is worth over £59 billion in the UK alone!

The Hospitality Career Excellence Hub prepares learners for the world of employment and for a life in their chosen industry. Students will take away absolutely loads of skills required to work in Hospitality all of which can be put on a CV to impress future employers.

It focusses on work experience which is a fantastic way to gain knowledge of an industry and how it works while learning skills that can be applied to College at the same time.

Hospitality learners will learn in Weston College’s state-of-the-art training kitchen called The Grove. This kitchen is fully equipped with all of the facilities that will be used in industry. The Grove also features a spacious dining room and a bar, offering students a chance to learn about setting and waiting tables. 

Learners have a monthly masterclass from top chefs from the local area. These classes teach a wide range of skills and disciplines including butchery, sausage making and working with seafood. Chefs who have provided masterclasses in the past include Martin Felstead, from Greenway Farm and Mark Chapman - the Executive Chef from Gambas Tapas Bar, Bristol.

Dan Flannagan from the Liberation Group said “We are proud of our Somerset roots and having grown our business in this area, a relationship with Weston College seemed a natural step. Weston has a superb set up and our partnership will provide a huge benefit for us as a business to develop future talent, but also for learners to gain vital experience and develop the skills needed for industry.”

For more information on how to apply to Weston College and join our awesome Hospitality Career Excellence Hub, click here.

Who let the dogs in?! Photography did...

Loxton Campus was recently visited by an incredible crew of canine companions as our Photography department hosted free dog photoshoots for the public.

The student-led sessions, that sold out in less than 1 hour, allowed learners from Level 2 and Level 3 Photography courses to take on a number of different job roles including: Photographer, Photographer's assistant, Studio Manager and Meeter and Greeter. As well as practicing practical and technical skills using challenging subjects, the learners gained invaluable experience working with the public.

Jo Halladey, Lecturer in Photography added: "We had a fantastic response to our Dog Photoshoot sessions resulting in our Level 3 Photography students having 3 full days of studio work.

"The experience they gained from working with members of the public and in particular working with all kinds of different dogs from Labradoodles to Pomchis, old and very young has added to their skillset and made them even more ready for the industry. We are hoping to do a cat version next year... Watch this space!"

Experiences such as this are one of the many career-boosting benefits that come to students by being part of the Creative Arts Career Excellence Hub. 

These employer endorsed Hubs unlock many exciting opportunities for learners. From guest speakers to industry placements, connecting with the industry helps to make our courses as fresh and relevant as possible so that you leave college with more than just a qualification.

Following the free photoshoots, the department are asking for donations to Many Tears Rescue: A dog rescue charity whose buildings were severely damaged by recent storms.

Click here to:

• Discover our Photography courses
• Learn more about Career Excellence Hubs
• Donate to Many Tears Rescue

Last week hospitality learners had the opportunity to chat with TV Personality and Luxury Hotelier, Alex Polizzi. Alex was joined by Head of Food and Beverage at the Polizzi Collection, Sergio Paolo, as both answered questions about the industry, to inspire the next generation of hospitality workers.

Alex, a renowned English hotelier, and star of The Hotel Inspector is a hugely successful businesswoman in the world of hospitality. Recently, Alex opened the doors to a camera crew as she documented the journey of renovating then opening a Grade II listed inn through Lockdown.

Her latest venture, The Star; a 30-bedroom boutique hotel in Sussex opened successfully in Easter 2020 despite numerous challenges including renovation delays, staffing, and working around lockdown.

Sandra Bull, Dean of Faculty for Hospitality and Catering at Weston College, said: “It was fantastic to welcome Alex and Sergio to the college, as they shared about the highs and lows of working in a constantly evolving hospitality sector.

“Our learners enjoyed hearing from two people that have such a wealth of experience, and they were all inspired by the talk.

“The partnership won’t stop there either, we will be working collaboratively with Alex to ensure that we are delivering training needed by employers and preparing our learners for life in the industry.”

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College Group, added: “The hospitality industry has had a really difficult time over the last 18 months, and both locally and nationally, there has been a shortage of staff.

“Through our Career Excellence Hub at Weston College, we feel it is important to connect learners with the industry, working closely with employers to co-design our programmes, and also deliver sessions to our learners. We believe that this will prepare our learners with the skills needed, not just to enter the workplace, but to have long and successful careers.

“It was great to meet Alex and Sergio, who offered such wonderful advice to people getting ready to enter the industry – proving that you can create a career from your passion. I’m looking forward to continuing this partnership and seeing the exciting progress of our hospitality learners.”

Discover more about our hospitality courses, below:

• 16-19
• Apprenticeships
• Adult courses

The Education sector is one of the UK’s biggest industries. The demand for trained childcare workers is increasing and the need for teachers is growing. With over 32,000 schools in the UK and over 634,000 teaching roles, there are lots of exciting opportunities available for our learners. In a post pandemic world, employers want to recruit the best and with the industry demand increasing, we want to provide our learners with the platform to maximise their true potential!

With the launch of our new Education and Early Years Career Excellence Hubs, our learners will now be equipped with 21st Century employability skills and develop the skills they need to prepare them for the world of work. The Education and Early years Career Excellence Hub gives our learners the chance to build their hard skills like safeguarding and health and safety skills and soft skills like problem solving and communication.

Education and Early Years is an exciting and varied industry, with lots of different career paths to take. Some of which include, early years teacher, primary school teacher, secondary school teacher and education consultant. Our newly opened state of the art Education and Early Years hub at our Knightstone Campus have been developed in conjunction with the Career Excellence Hub endorsers: Busy Buddies, Little Bears, DaisyChain, Mendip Green, YMCA and Storal Learning, who ensure that not only that the course content includes insights from industry leaders, but also that the new facilities will be industry standard to give them real-life work experience. Having the Career Excellence Hub equips our learners with ‘real world learning’ to prepare them for their chosen career destination.

For more information on how to apply to Weston College and join our amazing Education Career Excellence Hub, click here.