A Weston College beauty therapy learner is one step away from a place in the prestigious WorldSkills international final.

Chloe Williams, 19, progressed through a series of rounds – including the WorldSkills national final at the NEC in Birmingham last month – to win a place in the UK Talent Development Programme.

Supported by the College, Chloe will now undertake an 18-month training programme with WorldSkills UK. She will then find out if she has won a place in the final UK squad to compete in Shanghai, China in 2021.

The WorldSkills international final takes place every two years and is known as the ‘Skills Olympics’. The event features over 1,000 of the world’s most talented apprentices and students, each battling it out to be named the World Champion for their skill. Chloe, of Burnham-on-Sea, has had full support of the College throughout the WorldSkills event.

Jenna Ratcliffe, Curriculum Co-ordinator for Hair and Beauty at the College, paid tribute to Chloe resilience in reaching this far in the competition.

She said: “Chloe has shown outstanding commitment to her training during her WorldSkills journey.

“She competed in previous competitions but was unable to get through the regional rounds. This simply made her more determined to get through this year.

“She is a true inspiration to all our learners.”

Ben Blackledge, Deputy Chief Executive of WorldSkills UK, said: “Congratulations to Chloe – this is a life-changing moment for her.

“Chloe has already excelled in the WorldSkills UK regional and national competitions – and now faces an even tougher test in looking to secure a place to represent the UK on the world stage.

“She has dedicated hundreds of hours to improving her skills to get to this level – but will put in many months more of hard work with our training managers in a bid to transform her career and life.”

The previous WorldSkills competition was held earlier this year in Kazan, Russia, where Team UK was awarded 19 medals. By competing in the competition, WorldSkills UK can identify global best practice, research and insight that will help the new UK government deliver world class standards in technical education.

Find out more

• Worldskills
• 16-19 beauty courses
• Next open event

Weston College catering learners have had the opportunity to pick the brains of one of the world’s top chefs.

Marco Pierre White visited the College’s Grove Restaurant and Kitchen this week for a question and answer session with learners.

Marco was interviewed by Matthew, a Commis Chef Apprentice, and Josh, currently studying the Professional Cookery Award. Among a series of searching questions, they asked what it was like be a world-renowned chef, about his industry experience and for some top tips.

Matthew also asked Marco to name the strangest combination of food he has tasted.

“I’m a classicalist – I don’t like strange combos,” answered Marco. “I like salt and vinegar, cheese and onion – who wants salmon with liquorish?!

“In my opinion the more you do to food the more you take away from the food. I believe that, as chefs progress, dishes become simpler because they start to have confidence in themselves. So, have confidence in yourself.”

Marco shared an inspirational story about leaving Allerton High School in Leeds without any qualifications. After deciding to train as a chef, he began working in the kitchen at the Hotel St George in Harrogate, before moving to the Box Tree in Ilkley.

Arriving in London as an 19-year-old with “£7.36, a box of books and a bag of clothes”, Marco began his classical training as a commis chef under Albert Roux and Michel Roux at Le Gavroche – one of the UK’s top restaurants.

Aged just 24, he and a business partner opened their own restaurant – Harveys – and, nine years later, he became the first British chef and, at the time, the youngest chef be awarded three Michelin stars.

During these years, Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal and a host of now well-known chefs all benefitted from his tutelage. These include Bryn Williams, Matt Tebbutt, Robert Reid, Thierry Busset, Jason Atherton and James Stocks.

Josh asked if Marco had any advice for those coming to the end of their course.

Marco said: “Trust people around you, work as a team and stay focussed. Take advantage of opportunities that are presented to you.

“You may have to make personal sacrifices to achieve your dream so don’t look back and have regrets. The more you work the quicker you learn; the more you invest, the more you will take back.

“Knowledge is key, so find a chef who can teach and inspire you.”

Matthew, who hopes to open his own restaurant one day, appreciated the opportunity to attend the inspirational event.

He said: “It was great to speak with Marco. It was interesting to hear his thoughts about the creation of dishes and his honesty about how tough the job can be. “It’s great that the college have the contacts to give us this opportunity and the guest chef masterclasses we benefit from as part of our course.”

If you’re interested in a front-of-house or chef course:

• See list of courses for 16-19 year olds
• See apprenticeship vacancies
• Find out about our next open event.

The Enterprise4U final took place on Wednesday 27th March at Weston College. The event is an excellent example of how schools, Weston College and local businesses work together to raise the aspirations of young people.

Over the last few months, teams of young people have been developing ideas for a new business with the support of school staff, business and enterprise consultants Jane Dickson and Bernie Richardson and staff from Weston College. During the final, learners shared their business plans, hosted a trade stand, displayed their prototypes and presented their ideas to a panel of judges. Learners excelled in their presentations and displayed confidence in answering the judge’s questions. Selecting the winners was a difficult decision for the judges and after much deliberation the following prizes were awarded by the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Weston-super-Mare, Councillor Martin Williams & Mrs Brenda Charles.

Best Business Plan - Worle Community School
Best Trade Stand - Churchill Academy
Best Presentation - Hans Price Academy

Overall winner and winner of the Tony Smith Enterprise Award - Priory Community School

All winners received an E4U Trophy and vouchers. The overall winners will also get to visit the University Centre Weston for a tour of the facilities and to present their business ideas to a Business Lecturer.

Well done to all the learners that took part in the process of E4U. Learners demonstrated commitment, maturity and an in depth passion for the event. The Weston E4U Schools’ Business Challenge showcases the entrepreneurial and business skills of young people in Weston.

A former Renault garage has been transformed into a state-of-the art education centre for Weston College Automotive students.

The £1 million refurbishment at the South West Skills Campus (SWSC) on Locking Road includes two large workshops, two computer suites and two hi-tech classrooms.

Applications have doubled for Automotive courses and now lecturers seek more employers to offer Apprenticeships and work experience.

Automotive Lecturer Ian Aldridge said: “Last year we had 60 full time students, this year we have over 120 training with us.

“Many want to be an Apprentice and are in desperate need of an employer to support their training.

“The Government wants to add work-based experience to full time education and we want more employers who need Level 3 students to help them access the working environment.

“Ideally employers would offer a learner an Apprenticeship or a week’s work experience placement, however, we can accommodate single days through our new Programmes of Study.”

Student Marc Bell, 32, of Mead Vale, is a mature Level 3 student.

He said: “I worked in security but with children I wanted a job where I am home at nights. I’ve really enjoyed the course and hope I can find work.”

The year-long courses on offer include Level 1, 2 and 3 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair.

The refurbishment is part of ongoing £11 million works at the SWSC which includes the College's Business Enterprise Centre and Construction and Engineering Centre of Excellence.

Other developments include plans to create an eco-house at the rear of SWSC, which can show students practical examples of green technology in action.

Weston College Principal and Chief Executive, Dr Paul Phillips OBE added: “This new automotive maintenance centre was built in response to demand for quality courses.

“Once the SWSC is complete we will have created the best engineering and construction environment in the UK.

“Weston College has been voted the best in the West for the second year running in Skills Funding Agency Poll.

“We have exceptional results in A levels, Higher Education and vocational qualifications. With 1,200 apprentices, we are the largest provider in the region from Gloucestershire to Cornwall.

“Despite the economic challenge we continue to invest heavily in buildings to meet the needs of 21^st century students, offering them the best resources in the South West.”

Weston College's Sevens Squad took to the field for its first tournament of the 2018 circuit against Surrey Schools 7s on Wednesday (7th March). The tournament was a pivotal part of their preparation for Rosslyn Park which takes place on 21st of March.

Weston started the tournament strongly with a convincing win over Gordon’s School in their first group match. Weston’s defensive shape controlled the majority of the game which saw the team score plenty of points from turnovers.

In the second game Weston came up against a strong Cranleigh School team which gave our boys some harsh lessons with their aggressive defence and accurate distribution. Cranleigh came out convincing winners and went on to win the whole tournament, which have our team a good experience to learn off one of the best teams there. The third game was a mixture of both previous games with Weston getting off to a great start, but with mistakes and the players being fatigued the game swung to Berkamstead's favour.

Although the results may not show it, the boys learnt a lot from the day and will now be much better prepared to succeed at the national sevens tournament in two weeks. Outstanding effort from all involved, however special mention to skipper Luke Harrington, playmaker Ethan Thomas and speedster Joe Freake for their contributions during the day.

Football

Weston College Men's 1s v SGS College Men's 2s

Weston College Men’s 1s travelled to SGS Men’s 2 for the South West ECFA cat 2 (south) game.

Weston College started strong, dominated the ball, and created a number of chances. SGS remained strong and defended well and tried to hit Weston on the counter, however Weston defended well and stopped their attacks and competed well. Weston then had the break through, Tom Llewellyn with a well taken finish into the far corner. With Weston Controlling the rest of the half and keep SGS at arm’s length.

The second half started without real chances created. SGS started to grow into the game with Weston giving away cheap possession, however it was Weston which scored next through a good counter attack with Lucas Vowles placing into the far bottom corner. With Weston taking the lead it was SGS who had the aggression to get back into the game. SGS began to throw more bodies forwards and created a number of good opportunities from set pieces. Weston still tried to control the ball and maintain possession. 

SGS scored from a well-taken free kick. Going into the last 15 minutes of the game with the score 2-1 to Weston, SGS threw everything at Weston, but Weston remained strong, defended well, and saw a late break away by Lewis Neal who placed his shot wide of the post which was the last kick of the game.

Final score: SGS College 1 – Weston College 2

Weston College Men's 2s v Wiltshire College

Weston College 2nds team travelled to Wiltshire Football Academy for their AoC fixture against top of the league Wiltshire College. Weston totally controlled the tempo of the first half of the game, dominating possession and creating many chances which saw 1st year sport student Jakub Kartasinski open the scoring to make it 1-0. Toby Jones finished from close range to make it 2-0 before Wiltshire scored from a double-deflected shot. Weston looked to switch play well and this saw space open up for Jakub Kartasinski to deliver a cross for Aden Criddle to head home. A questionable offside led to Wiltshire’s 2nd goal to make it 3-2 going into half time. 
 
Having conceded late in the first half to make it 3-2, Wiltshire seemed galvanised by this and came out in the second half with an attacking intent. Weston struggled to deal with this and it soon become 3-3 after a defensive mistake. Wiltshire were then awarded a penalty when Andy Sinclair brought down the attacker in the area. Charlie Woodards came to the rescue with a superb save to keep the scores level and give Weston the lift they needed. However, disaster soon struck when a Wiltshire attacker found himself free in the area and his header was superbly saved by Woodards, however the striker managed to get to the rebound first and slot the ball home to complete the comeback. Criddle had a great opportunity late on to equalise, however his effort went wide of the target.

Despite the result and obvious disappointment of letting a two-goal lead slip, the squad can be pleased with how they performed against the top of the table. 

Final score: Wiltshire College 4 - Weston College 3 
MOM: Toby Jones & Harry Crowley 

Netball

Weston College v Exeter College
 
Weston was excited to replay Exeter on their home ground and knew it was not going to be an easy match. Weston started the first quarter with speed and confidence, we knew we had a versatile squad and were eager to showcase our potential. Weston had been working on its centre set plays and used these to its advantage by not losing any centre passes in the first quarter. End of first quarter was 6-6. 
 
The second quarter was very much goal-for-goal. Weston managed to create some turnovers from some magnificent interceptions and great defensive play. The College team persevered against an extremely tall Exeter defence but managed to keep within 1 goal of Exeter, finishing the second quarter 13-14 to Exeter. 
 
Third quarter Weston changed things around to put some more height into its attacking circle. This proved to be a success from the first whistle, creating confidence within the team's attacking and defensive play. The play was goal-for-goal with Weston pulling ahead and then Exeter pulling it back. It was Weston College's most intensive quarter, showing some amazing teamwork and great back up play. Third quarter ended 22-23 to Exeter. 
 
In the fourth quarter, the Weston College team knew it had nothing to lose and went out at 100%, a few mistakes were made and Exeter managed to get ahead by a couple of goals. Weston got their heads down and managed to get one for one goals but it proved to be too late. Weston played an amazing game and it was one of our closest matches. Each Academy player played so magnificently and it was a tough call for Players' Player.

Well done to Exeter and look forward to re-playing you next season. 

Final score: Exeter 36 - Weston 31
Players' Player: Ella

At Weston College we believe recognising the success of learners throughout their entire journey in education is essential. Motivating students and sharing their accomplishments fills us with pride and promotes to the community that access to great education creates brighter futures.

In 2015 Weston College rebranded higher education provision to University Centre Weston (UCW). UCW offers over 45 degrees in partnership with University of the West of England and Bath Spa University.

To recognise and celebrate our degree learners’ achievements we hold the annual UCW Awards whereby learners are nominated for awards by their lecturers and peers who then attend an evening that celebrates their accomplishments.

Katie Wilkinson and Olivia Brown (pictured above with Weston College’s Principal and Chief Executive, Dr Paul Phillips CBE) attended the evening. Both learners began their journey with Weston College on Further Education courses and have since progressed onto degree courses at UCW.

Olivia, who currently studies a degree in Business with Management commented: “It was a natural progression from the Level 3 BTEC course onto my degree. Throughout my time at Weston College the amount of support available and acknowledgement of success shows that they want us to do our best and be out best.

“The UCW awards was a great night, recognising and celebrating the hard work both staff and students put in. I think Weston do really well at motivating students by sharing their success.

“My next step is to progress onto the BA Honours programme and then follow a career which focuses on business sustainability.”

Katie continued: “I started studying A Levels at Weston College Sixth Form and then progressed onto FDA Business with Management. It felt great to be recognised alongside like-minded people and it’s been amazing to look back on my journey at Weston College and remember what I’ve achieved in that time.”

“After finishing my foundation year I hope to progress onto the BA Honours Business Management to advance my knowledge. Beyond this I would like to either start in graduate role in human resources or study a postgraduate diploma in education to teach business.”

Chris Carter, Vice Chair of the Governors Body, commented: “It was a delight to be part of this event and share in our learner’s successes. Showcasing the superb successes of our learners not only benefits them by recognising their achievement but also gives the wider community an insight into the great work being done by the dedicated staff at Weston College who continually raise the bar within the F.E.sector.

The total college income in England has fallen by £1 billion since the start of the decade and now totals £6.5 billion. As a result of this we are actively supporting the ‘Love our Colleges’ campaign from the Association of Colleges. This involves working together with other providers of FE to raise awareness about the importance of funding and benefits it can give back to learners and communities. The ability to continue to provide outstanding education relies on government funding therefore it is imperative that we give this campaign our full backing to enhance learning for future generations in a time where resources continue to diminish.

Jodie Goodman, winner of the Business, Enterprise and Services Faculty Student of the Year award with Chris Carter, Vice Chair of the Governors Body.

Lead Governor for Sustainability, Gemma Day, with Grace Fox who was given the Principal Gold Award for Student Success of the Year.

Have you wondered what it’s like to be a computing student? Meet Connor, an applied computing student.

Connor joined Weston College when he enrolled on the IT Practitioners Diploma, Level 3 course. This course improves your knowledge and practical skills in a range of IT areas including, IT systems, social media in business, data modelling, information management and website development. You find out how computer systems work and learn to utilise different applications. The assignments are based on workplace situations, so you get a real insight to the careers available in IT and what it is like to work in the industry.

He then moved to UCW to study applied computing. This popular foundation degree emphasises the practical application of computing principles and on development of IT skills.

The course also provides the core knowledge in software design, systems analysis and web technologies required to either progress to further study or gain employment in an IT role. It covers:

• Computing applications
• Software design and development
• System analysis and databases
• Web technologies and platforms
• Computing project management
• Digital devices implementation and usability
• Object-orientated software design and development
• Service support tools and techniques
• Work experience.

As part of the work experience module, Connor was briefed with creating a new website for Aequus– a housing/property developer owned by the local council.

Connor said: “Working on this project was a great experience. I had monthly meetings with the client as I found this was an easier way to get the information I required than calling or waiting for something to be emailed across. Web design is also quite creative so it’s sometime difficult to explain how you are visualising something over email or the phone.

“Weston College and UCW have provided me with lots of employer contacts through projects such as this one. I have enjoyed learning about CSS language and above all they have given me the confidence in my work.” Connor is hoping to progress to the top-up year with UCW and then a Master’s at UWE. He also had this advice for future students: “Make friends, work hard, and take part in the trips, as this is where I have made life-long friends. We were lucky enough to go to Florida and tour Universal Studios where we learnt about special effects, animation, edit movies and 3D printers. I’d recommend anyone coming to Weston College and UCW, as the lecturers are fantastic and always there to help.”

Connor has since graduated from UCW with a First-Class Honours Degree, and is now specialising in Cyber Security at the University West of England.

"I have been studying Penetration Testing, Ethical Hacking and Network Security. Thanks to my Extended Diploma at Weston College and my Bachelor’s Degree at UCW, I had already gained important experience with programming languages such as C++ which have been very useful in advancing in Cyber Security.

"Also, thanks to my studies of Website Development at UCW, I have a great understanding of how websites and databases work and therefore how to secure them, this included important experience with SQL and PHP. Thanks to the courses, I have a great understanding of what secure code looks like and how to implement security measures. This has been a huge advantage while progressing into the Cyber Security field.

"My next goal is to advance into the Cyber Security field further. After graduating from my Masters, I hope to progress into a career in Penetration Testing." 

See Connor’s website - https://www.aequusdevelopments.co.uk/
See all computing course, starting this September - https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/computing-and-it

A moody seascape has earned a Weston College student two coveted awards in a national photographic competition.

Ed French, 16, entered the National Historic Ships Photography Competition with a picture he took by Marine Lake, Weston, and was presented with the awards at a ceremony on board HMS Belfast in London.

Ed, of Devonshire Road, Weston, scooped the First Prize in his category, ‘Young Photographer Historic Ship or Seascape’, and was overall winner of the competition’s ‘Young Photographer UK’ class.

He was handed his awards by BBC TV presenter Julia Bradbury following a celebration lunch aboard the historic warship.

Now studying a Level Three BTEC Extended Diploma in Photography at Weston College, Ed was a pupil of Broadoak School when the photo was taken. On the day he took it the rain had cleared, leaving a cloudy sky. Ed cycled down to the Marine Lake, by Knightstone Island, and took the picture with a compact digital camera.

He said: “I was very surprised and delighted to win the awards. Mine was the last category to be announced so it was a very tense wait.”

Ed won a £400 digital camera for Broadoak School and a group visit to the SS Great Britain ship in Bristol.

Weston College Photography lecturer Jamie Dormer-Durling said: “I am really pleased for Ed’s success. We like to encourage our students to enter photography competitions; it’s highly motivational and gives a great boost to their confidence. Ed is thinking of continuing to the FdA Photography Course at Weston College where I’m sure he will continue to flourish as a photographer.”

Weston College students had a chance to meet Michael Gove, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and local MP John Penrose, last week at an event hosted by Weston-super-Mare Conservative Association.

The students, who are currently studying A Level Government and Politics at Weston College’s Sixth Form Centre, were invited to the Royal Hotel for a three course meal followed by a speech from Mr Gove, who last week was voted out of the Conservative Party leadership election.

Kori, 17, said: “I found the evening thoroughly interesting. It’s cool to see politicians in the flesh because it shows us that the things we learnt in class are more than just theory or history.

“Meeting the politicians brings the concept of politics back to reality.”

Mardi McLay, Lecturer in Government and Politics at Weston College, said: “This was a unique experience providing the students with an opportunity to see first-hand, politics in action.”

Eve Mason, Weston College’s Curriculum Lead in Humanities, Legal and Social Studies, said: “Mr Gove was an interesting and entertaining speaker, who spoke on a range of contemporary matters.

“The students gained a valuable insight into the political process, talking at length to one of Mr Gove’s advisors to find out how he got into politics and what it’s like working for an MP.”

During his speech, Mr Gove paid special tribute to the students, saying: “It’s good to see the amazing young people from Weston College here this evening.

“Everyone in the town should feel proud of the College, and it deserves congratulations for everything it has achieved.”

Mr Gove has previously commended the College for its work in the offender learning sector, where it delivers education in nine prisons across the South West of England.