Hair and Beauty is an exciting, fun and fulfilling industry to work in, it is responsible for over 250,000 jobs in the UK and is rapidly increasing! With the UK aiming for high career growth as it emerges from the pandemic, employers are wanting to recruit the best talent to succeed in a post Brexit economy. We aim to provide our learners with the perfect learning environment for them to reach their full potential in their chosen career path!

Career Excellence Hubs have been launched to allow learners to develop skills for life, it allows students to take part in their chosen study programme filled with lots of career boosting benefits, preparing them to be career ready when their programme has been completed.

Through the Hair and Beauty Career Excellence Hub our learners have the opportunity to work within state-of-the-art industry-standard facilities which include a total of five purpose-built commercial salons, a nail salon and a specialist media make-up facility. With these facilities our learners can develop their soft and hard skills catered to their chosen career path and equip them with employability skills that they can use to succeed in their future careers. Career Excellence Hub is endorsed by local businesses such as The Hair Bar, Beauty Spot, Weston Beauty Clinic and M Beauty. These endorsers have helped develop the courses to provide our learners with enhanced work experience and ‘real world learning’.

Hannah Hoskin-Love from The Beauty Spot has said “Interaction between business and education is very important, students need to be able to navigate their way through from classrooms and coursework to a career and the workplace. Clear communication from and targeted support from employers and colleges through this transition is much needed. The Beauty Spot Weston is a proud supporter of Weston College and have been for a number of years now. This support will continue for many years to come.”

For more information on our amazing Career Excellence Hub for Hair and Beauty, click here.

Our employer endorsed Creative Arts Career Excellence Hub unlocks so 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.

Here's Tash from Level 3 Performing Arts to tell us about her journey so far! ?

Click here to learn more about our courses in Performing Arts

Click here to learn more about our Career Excellence Hubs

By 2026, it has been predicted that 20% of the UK’s engineers will retire – meaning that there are lots of opportunities to enter this exciting industry.

In order to give our engineering learners a head start, we have launched the Engineering Career Excellence Hub.

Whether it’s liaising with businesses in the industry to make sure we’re teaching our learners relevant and up-to-date skills, creating the best facilities and digital platforms in the region for them to study in, or selecting the top teachers with current industry experience – our Engineering Career Excellence Hub is focused on providing the right learning environment to help learners reach their potential.

Our engineering study programmes boast lots of career boosting benefits, all with the aim of giving learners the opportunity to become career ready.

Global engineering firms are also backing our Career Excellence Hubs. Airbus, Rolls Royce and National Composites Centre, are heavily involved with our curriculum. From co-designing courses to offering visits, their involvement supports learners with preparation for the modern workplace. Each of these global partners are have individual initiatives surrounding sustainability and business practices to protect the environment. With each campus committed to reaching Net Zero by 2030, Weston College partners with high standard organisations that help to create brighter and greener futures.

Jo Philpott, Vice Principal at Weston College, said: “Our close links with employers play a critical part in our Career Excellence Hub model.

“We want to ensure that our learners are prepared for industry, and this is the perfect way of making that happen. We often welcome our endorsing employers to deliver masterclasses on key themes in engineering, which are well received by learners who receive significant industry insight.

“We also prioritise both soft and hard skill development, as the modern workplace requires this from their employees, and this can also help them stand out from the crowd on job applications or in interview.”

Find out more about the Engineering Career Excellence Hub, here.

Students studying towards their BTEC Extended Diploma in Business at Weston College have put their skills to the test in a real life ‘Apprentice’ style challenge in a project set by Weston Hospice Care.

Weston College Business learners are currently putting their knowledge and skills to the test in an Business Enterprise Challenge. Eleven groups of Business learners are competing in the challenge where eleven business leaders are mentoring each group. The mentors have given their group of learners a £50 investment, to help set up and run their own business. They have also provided their groups with expert business insights and advice, which has been invaluable to the learners. Each group are required to source products, develop a pricing strategy, marketing campaign and sell the products to their target consumers, with the ultimate aim of raising the most profit. 100% of the profits earned as part of the challenge will go to Weston Hospicecare.

Learners were kindly allocated a space in the Sovereign Centre to sell their products to members of the public which has allowed them to demonstrate their leadership, negotiation, customer service, sales and team working skills.

Emma (Business learner) said: “Participating in a project like this has allowed me to develop so many skills in sales, finance, teamwork and making decisions under pressure. It’s great to do something outside of your college lessons with my peers because it provides so many different opportunities and was just great fun. We really benefitted from having a retail space in the Sovereign Centre. Also having a Mentor for the project, has given us a great opportunity to network, but also to gain regular feedback from someone who is an expert in the real world. Her kind support has allowed us to raise lots of money for Weston Hospice Care and she has provided us with lots of opportunities for the future. It was a brilliant experience and I would love to do something like this again in the future."

Projects such as help to immerse our learners in the local community and grow their understanding of the local landscape and the impact of social action. As well as reducing our carbon footprint, Weston College is committed to creating brighter and greener future for our community.

Ben Melhuish (Subject Area Manager for Business) said “The Enterprise Challenge has put the students’ business acumen to the test and enabled them to polish their professional presence as they engaged with the business world around them. I am extremely proud of their achievements and overwhelmed with their performance to date. We even had the Mayor come and visit the learners yesterday to offer his support.”

We are currently counting up how much the learners have raised for Weston Hospicecare.

Find out more

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The legendary Glastonbury Festival creator Michael Eavis recently visited Weston College where he was honoured with having the Music Department’s performance suite named after him.

Michael started the famous festival in 1970 from his dairy farm in Pilton, Somerset. With a history of huge headliners including David Bowie, Beyonce and Stormzy, the festival now has over 200,000 attendees each year making it one of the biggest festivals in the world. 

After visiting the popular Creative Arts Summer Show in July 2021, Michael was inspired to see the incredible pool of talent in the artwork and performances on display at the College’s art festival. 

To honour Michael and his outstanding contributions to the live music industry, it was decided by Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, Dr Paul Phillips CBE, to name the College’s main music performance space “The Michael Eavis Performance Suite”. 
This learning facility is at the heart of the Music Department. Here the students host countless live gigs with a full digital mixing desk and professional lighting rig to emulate an industry standard music venue. 

On arrival to Loxton Campus, to unveil the brass plaque for the facility’s new name, Michael Eavis first went on a tour around the campus. Here he admired the fantastic Fashion and amazing Art and Design work that decorates the campus’s vibrant corridors. Visiting various classes along the way, Michael stepped into the Media Department’s TV studio where he became a contestant on a mock live broadcast of Deal or No Deal, hosted by the students. 

The Glastonbury creator then had a look around the College’s state-of-the-art music facilities. Michael sat in on several student performances taking place in the multiple practice spaces and even sat in on a recording session in the College’s professional digital recording studio. 

The College’s Music department sits within the newly formed “Career Excellence Hubs”. These hubs are endorsed by employers and enable students to access outstanding career-boosting opportunities such as performing for Michael Eavis and having guest talks from festival stage managers thanks to industry connections. 

Michael Eavis added: “The sky’s the limit for music performers, it really is. It’s been fantastic here today, I’ve really enjoyed it. Lots of music, incredible fashion and lovely artwork too.” 

After this, Michael visited the newly named suite where lunch was served to a delightful display of music from the Level 3 learners. After a fantastic festive performance from music student Daisy Dennett and her band, the he was presented with a blue glass vase from the Principal to thank Michael for all that he has done and continues to do to raise the aspirations of musicians across the world.

Michael continued: “To have the Music Performance Suite named after me is a great honour for me and a great privilege. Thank-you very much” 

Dr Paul Phillips CBE commented: “Michael is an exemplar to us all. To our Music students and staff in Music Performance and Production, he is their hero, and we are so glad to have Michael here today to thank him for all he has done for the live music sector.

Five learners who recently completed their apprenticeships with independent UK law firm Burges Salmon, have received their final grades, achieving a distinction – the highest grade possible.

The five learners, who were all studying a Business Administration Level 3 apprenticeship with the Bristol based firm, are:

• Jack 
• Sophie 
• Lauren 
• Isobel 
• Gemma 

Now that they have completed their apprenticeship, they have each gained employment with Burges Salmon, which was recently named ‘Community Engagement Law Firm of the Year’ at the Bristol Law Society Awards 2021 and also this month won CSR Initiative of the Year at The Legal Week British Legal Awards 2021.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, says: “This is a fantastic achievement for each of the five apprentices, who have shown their talent and displayed their tremendous attitude by attaining these grades.

“We are so proud that they have all progressed into employment as well, something which isn’t easy in the current climate, and is further proof how impressive they have been, not just in their studies but in their work as well.”

Robert Halton, Chief People Officer at Burges Salmon, adds: “We are really pleased with the performance of our apprentices and the development of apprenticeships on a wider basis is great for the overarching aim of social mobility and educational attainment within the context of the working environment.”

If you’d like to find out more about how we can support your business, you can do so, here: https://www.weston.ac.uk/employers

From dealing with A-list celebrities to live national broadcasts, our media learners recently had the fantastic opportunity to learn all about the dynamic world of daytime TV from the Head of Film at ITV, Nick Rylance – a Weston College alumni! 

With a long history of working in the media industry, including acting, radio, film and live TV, Nick kindly hosted a 1 hour zoom call with our Media Production classes.  

The learners were in for a treat, hearing all about Nick’s journey to get to where he is today, starting in Weston-super-Mare. The learners, who’s modules include live TV production, were able to hear first-hand what it’s really like to work within mainstream broadcasting and dealing with world famous celebrities such as Tom Cruise, George Clooney and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to name a few.  

Having researched Nick’s background in acting and regular work with Lorraine Kelly, Philip Schofield  
Ben Shephard, Kate Garraway, Alison Hammond and more household names, the learners then had the chance to ask questions. Nick was able to give incredibly inciteful answers and advice around making contacts, the importance of work experience and how to operate professionally in stressful situations. 

Learners form the class added: 

“I’ve learnt that believing in myself is so important to success. The talk made me want to get out there and get even more work experience so that I can meet more people and make the most of every opportunity.” 

“It was very inspirational. It was amazing to hear about all of the different roles and changes in Nick’s career as I’m not sure which path to follow at the moment. I feel more confident about getting a job and that being nice and just being myself is important” 

High-profile guest speakers and lecturers are just one of the career-boosting benefits that stem from the college’s newly formed Creative Arts Career Excellence Hub. These innovative subject specific hubs allow for students at Weston College to have access to exclusive career-boosting benefits. 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. 

Lecturer in Media, Richard Simms commented: “Having guest speakers from the media industry is an essential part of the course. It allows learners to meet professionals and see their career journeys. 

“Nick gave a fascinating and fabulous talk about his career, which reinforced the skills and development we champion on the Level 3 media production course. His journey from Weston College to ITV is not only inspiring, but it also makes it real for our learners.  His advice, enthusiasm and knowledge engaged the learners and will only benefit them as they progress through the course and beyond.” 

We’d like to say a huge thank-you to Nick for taking the time to inspire our Media learners through his years of industry knowledge and experience! 

Click here to read more about our Career Excellence Hubs

Click here to discover our courses in Media Production, Film and TV.

University Centre Weston (UCW) computing learner, Jack Kimmins, will be representing the UK after recently being announced as the gold medal winner at the national WorldSkills Web Design finals.  

WorldSkills UK is an independent charity that works with employers, education and governments, supporting young people across the world via competitions-based training, testing their ability to achieve world-class standards in the biennial ‘skills Olympics’.  

Over 3,000 learners registered to take part in the UK-wide competitions in March 2021 and Jack was just one of four hundred who made it into the finals, which was split into 64 disciplines. 

The Web Design category finals, hosted by the Weston College Group at The Winter Gardens in Weston-super-Mare, was between nine competitors from across the country and took place over two days. The finalists were tasked with building a website, employing their skills of html, JavaScript and front/back-end coding to bring the detailed brief to fruition. The final products were then anonymously judged by a panel of digital experts from renown organisation Jisc, Airbus and the UK Hydrographic Office. 

After the challenging finals were completed, the winners were announced at a virtual ceremony hosted by TV presenter Steph McGovern from her Channel 4 “Packed Lunch” studio on Friday 26 November. It was here that Jack was announced as the national gold medallist. Also Level 3 Apprentice Luke Merchant a Weston College student was named as the Silver medallist in the Automotive Technology finals. 

Congratulations also goes to Weston College students Mircea Ionescu and Amelia Lee who also competed in the Web Design and Beauty Practitioner finals respectively. 

Currently in his third year, Jack is studying Applied Computing BSc (Hons) at UCW. This degree level course is part of the West of England Institute of Technology, a collaborative partnership between education providers and businesses from across the West of England, collaborating to design and deliver flexible, higher-level technical learning.

Jack commented: “I feel very proud, I was really shocked when my name was read out! My web development knowledge has grown throughout doing this project as well as my time management skills.  

“The finals were a really memorable occasion and I’m looking forward to training for the next stage.” 

Learners that achieve the gold medals at the national finals then get invited to join the UK WorldSkills Squad. Not dissimilar to Team GB for the Olympics, the gold medallists will be then go on to compete in the international finals which will take place in France in 2022.

Jack continues: “I will be now representing the country in the field of Web Design. I feel very proud doing so and I’m going to try my absolute hardest.  

“The staff at UCW have helped me immeasurably. I’d like to thank my tutor Jason Hill for all his hard work and help. I’d recommend everyone gives it a go and tries to push themselves with this opportunity.” 

Weston College’s involvement with WorldSkills is just one of the exclusive opportunities available to learners through their newly launched Career Excellence Hubs.  

At the College each subject area forms its own specific Career Excellence Hub, endorsed by relevant sector employers which help to create a study programme with lots of career boosting benefits, including WorldSkills competing opportunities. 

Weston College Group Principal and Chief Executive, Dr Paul Phillips CBE added: “Many congratulations to all of our WorldSkills winners. I am so proud of all of you, representing our college and confirming your amazing talents. We wish Jack the very best of luck with the international stages, it truly is a fantastic achievement.” 

Deputy CEO of WorldSkills UK, Ben Blackledge, says that success in UK-wide finals is a litmus test for the future of the economy. 

“These young people are a real inspiration. They are an example to us all and are to be congratulated. To have excelled after such a difficult year shows their dedication and drive is second to none. 

“Skills are the lifeblood of every economy, creating high quality jobs, rewarding careers, inward investment and growth.” 

A huge congratulations to all of our WorldSkills finalists and medal winners. We are so excited to follow Jack’s journey to represent the UK in France for the WorldSkills finals!

We are proud to be partnered with Culture Weston to bring career-boosting benefits to our learners in Creative Arts! 

Weston-super-Mare based community arts initiative Culture Weston have recently been announced as a partner in the College’s Creative Arts Career Excellence Hub. These new initiatives are endorsed by relevant sector employers to ensure lessons are relevant and to maximise experience opportunities, making learners ‘job ready’. 

Culture Weston is a new partnership-led initiative that aims to build and maintain the future growth of culture within Weston-super-Mare, with Creative Arts playing a significant role. 

In partnership with North Somerset arts organisation Theatre Orchard, North Somerset Council and Arts Council England, Culture Weston promotes and protects the town’s past, present and future with large focuses on heritage and sustainability moving forward.  

Projects such as help to immerse our learners in the local community and grow their understanding of the local landscape and the impact of social action. As well as reducing our carbon footprint, Weston College is committed to creating brighter and greener future for our community.

With community at its core, the Culture Weston team help local people by offering advice and support, developing partnerships and instigating new initiatives that can “help forge an optimistic, people-powered future for this creative town”. 

Culture Weston programme lead, Tom Newman said: 

“We’re delighted to be partnering in Weston College’s Creative Arts Career Excellence Hub. Nurturing local talent and inspiring young people to engage with creative arts is a key part of our mission at Culture Weston. Through our partnership with the College we hope to maximise opportunities for students studying creative subjects, and to create new entry routes and pathways for young people to develop careers in the creative arts. We’ve hosted a number of placements from the College, and their creative ideas and contributions have been really valuable.” 

Weston College helps to maximise opportunities for students studying creative subjects such as Art and Design, Graphic Design, Fashion, Performing Arts, Photography, Game and Animation, Media and Music – All of which are taught as full-time courses at the college’s Loxton Campus. 

Racheal Heath, Dean of Faculty for Creative Arts, added: “Our career-focused study programmes help to broaden the horizons of our learners. Through industry partnerships such as this, we help to raise aspirations and inspire by having students learn directly from the industry and the vast number of opportunities that the Creative Arts industry provides.” 

Recent examples of collaboration include the Culture Weston’s 'Arts and Health Week'. Dancers from the college’s Performing Arts department had the opportunity to work alongside world renowned Studio Wayne McGregor in an unforgettable series of beach performances to remember those we have lost in the global pandemic. 

Read more about the 'In Memoriam' performance here

With more collaborations on the horizon, we are looking forward to continuing our partnership to continue to increase participation and inclusivity of creative arts and culture for our students and across our local community. 

Click here to read more about Culture Weston

Click here to read more about the College's Career Excellence Hubs