Weston College is set to play a lead role in tackling the construction industry skills shortage by opening a brand new industry focused training centre.

The Weston College Construction Training Centre, based just off Junction 21 of the M5, will open in spring 2019 and represents a £3.8 million investment.

It will offer training in three key construction areas – plant operations, scaffolding, and groundworks.

As part of this initiative Weston College has partnered with scaffolding training and safety experts, Simian.

The new centre will increase the availability of Construction Industry Scaffolders’ Record Scheme (CISRS) scaffolding training in the South West. As with most construction trades, the scaffolding industry is currently experiencing a skills shortage and it is expected that the West Wick centre will assist in bridging that gap.

Established in 2005, Simian has cemented their position as industry leaders for scaffolding training and support services. Headquartered in Warrington, the firm now operates a total of four scaffolding training centres in the Midlands, North Wales (Llangefni and Wrexham) and Cheshire, with an additional Centre in east London opening in March 2019.

The new Weston Centre will deliver a large portfolio of CISRS scaffolding courses, which will include new entrant training (COTS), CISRS Part One and Two scaffolding courses, scaffolding Apprenticeships and scaffold inspection training.

Speaking of the partnership, Simian’s Managing Director, Simon Hughes said: “These are exciting times for Simian and we’re delighted to be playing our part in upskilling workers in the south west, as well as providing the opportunity for industry new entrants to obtain the skills and knowledge they need to build a career in the scaffolding sector.

“The increasing levels of UK housing and infrastructure investment mean that the current construction industry skills shortage needs addressing as a matter of urgency and as such, we’re proud to be making Scaffolding Apprenticeships and other vocational scaffolding training available locally in Weston, as this will provide new career opportunities as well as boosting the local economy.”

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive at Weston College commented: “Weston College has worked hard to identify a strategic partner for scaffolding training at its new Construction Training Centre. We are delighted to be working with Simon and the team at Simian who are nationally renowned as leaders in the field of CISRS accredited scaffolding training and assessment.

"The financial investment to build the Centre has been provided by the College match-funding a successful bid for funding from the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) through the Local Growth Fund, administered by the West of England Combined Authority.”

Chair of the West of England LEP, Prof Steve West, said: “We’re really pleased to support the fantastic new Construction Training Centre at Weston College. This will help to equip our current and future construction workforce with the skills they need to drive forward the building of new homes, business premises and infrastructure as our region grows. It will also help them to secure better career prospects and make the most of the opportunities available right here in the West of England.”

Weston College’s drive to create 600 work-related learning opportunities in six months has smashed through the halfway point well ahead of schedule.

The ‘600 in 6’ campaign has persuaded businesses from a range of industries to pledge more than 300 opportunities in just eight weeks. These include apprenticeships, traineeships, work placements and project briefs.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “One of the greatest challenges faced by the education sector, and society as a whole, is equipping people with the skills they need in an increasingly competitive and ever-changing world.

“The ‘600 in 6’ campaign takes up that challenge by seeking to inspire the future workforce, and supplementing learning programmes with relevant workplace skills and experience.”

Among the businesses to have pledged are: University Hospitals of Bristol, Weston-super-Mare AFC, Wookey Hole Caves and Little Angels Nursery.

YMCA Dulverton Group, which has pledged to train existing staff through Flexible Learning, are also offering four apprenticeship places to Weston College learners.

Jonica Walkinshaw, Director of Training and Education at YMCA Dulverton Group, said: “We are delighted to back the 600 in 6 campaign, and to develop local talent.

“We have decided to upskill 32 existing employees through 600 in 6, and also hire four new apprentices. We cannot wait to help them on their journey, and watch them develop within our organisation.

“Weston College has been very supportive. It has allowed us to build a bespoke package, which suits the needs of the YMCA Dulverton Group.”

You can keep an eye on the campaign’s progress across social media, and through the #600in6 hashtag on Twitter.

For more information and to pledge, click here. 

You can also email the Training Solutions team at apprenticeships@weston.ac.uk or call on 01934 411 594.

Our motto ‘Creating Brighter Futures’ is clearly evident within our sporting provision.

As well as boasting fantastic facilities – including the brand-new Health and Active Living Centre (HALC) – our outstanding courses form a range of progression pathways, which have resulted in four former students being employed in our sport faculty.

We sat down with Matt, Dan, Liam and Sarah (pictured left to right) and asked them about their experiences and how the College has developed over the years.

We cannot wait to continue to build on our existing success and create brighter futures for more young people. Click here for more information on Sport courses. 

It’s fitting that Weston College has the honour of sponsoring the Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing category at this year’s Bristol Law Society Awards.

As well as supporting a vital organisation in the local legal sector, this also gives us the opportunity highlight a range of subjects that resonate closely with the College’s values and priorities.

In recent years we’ve worked extremely hard to take our law-related provision to the next level and, in doing so, support local employers that operate in the legal industry.

We created the Law and Professional Services Academy following a multi-million-pound redevelopment to of the Winter Gardens Pavilion on Weston seafront.

It features a library, new computer equipment, technology-enhanced ‘pods’ for group study, a café, classrooms and social spaces, and we’ve also been able to maintain the traditional elements of design, which make the Winter Gardens so iconic.

This bright and spacious facility offers training across law and other professional services, and provides students with a large and diverse range of training.

We’ve worked closely with hundreds of employers across the region to create specialised and professional courses that offer clear progression routes.

As well as giving students clearly defined routes into the industry, the academy enables business to access cost-effective training courses and apprenticeships that will help them develop their workforce.

Employers have the opportunity to train their staff from Level 1 to university-level and can also work with us to create bespoke courses that meet their specific business needs.

Our courses range from the Law A Level and Level 3 Paralegal Apprenticeship through to the CILEx Law and Practice Diploma at Level 3 and Level 6.

The sponsorship of this award also enables us to highlight another area in which we’re leading the way – that of wellbeing and mental health.

We recently devised an organisation-wide initiative to enhance the mental health, wellbeing and welfare of our learners, staff and the sider community, and ensure they have the emotional resilience to meet the increasing demands of 21st century life.

The programme consists of a framework of ‘body and mind’ initiatives, including free mindfulness, meditation, dance and yoga sessions.

It also involves forging strong partnerships with the local authority, charities and clubs; hosting a series of sports, healthy eating and wellbeing sessions; and tackling issues such as low self-esteem, low confidence and smoking cessation.

This pioneering initiative received national recognition this year, by winning an Association of Colleges Beacon Award, with judges highlighting our commitment to creating an ethos that puts mental health, wellbeing and welfare at the forefront of its investment.

Aside from this programme, we’re proud to hold both the ‘Gold’ and ‘Champion’ Investors in People accreditation, which also recognise the College’s proactive approach to the mental health, wellbeing and welfare services of its staff. The College also offers staff free Mental Health First Aid training and provide a counselling service.

This issue of health and wellbeing was also central to the development of our Health and Active Skills Centre, which opened in September. As well as tackling the current skills shortage in the sector, this impressive facility also addresses longer-term issues that affect our health service and the health of the local population.

Like the finalists in this category of the Law Society’s Awards, we recognise that the most successful and robust organisations are diverse and inclusive. It’s in the fabric of the College that everyone has the right to be treated fairly and without discrimination, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, circumstances or background.

The finalists in this category – Barcan+Kirby, DAC Beachcroft and RPC – have all embraced these values wholeheartedly and any one of them will be a worthy winner on the night of October 24th.

I’m very much looking forward to the event and wish all three companies the very best of luck. To find out more about Weston College’s range of law courses and facilities, visit the Law and Professional Services Academy page of our website.

Please contact us for information about the current Apprenticeship Funding and Grants for Employers...

01934 411 594
apprenticeships@weston.ac.uk

The chance to be part of a Taster Day celebrating all things Higher Education is being offered next month (October) at Weston College.

The College’s University Centre and Loxton Campus will open their doors on October 27 to anyone interested in studying for a Degree and looking to start in Autumn 2015.

As well as receiving all the information needed to consider an application, prospective students will be able to take part in a series of ‘hands-on’ workshops in a variety of subject fields, giving them a vital taste of Degree level study.

On offer are workshops in Musical Theatre, Sports Studies, Performing Arts, Computing and Photography, among many other subjects. Those taking part will also be treated to lunch, and can attend a number of information sessions about applying via UCAS, managing finances and accommodation, and what to expect in the first few weeks.

Anthony Murray, Weston College’s Director of Higher Education, said: “We are very pleased to be offering this Higher Education Taster Day, which is aimed at giving aspiring students a clearer understanding of the step-up from Level 3 to University-level study in a wide variety of subject areas. Taking part in this kind of preparatory activity will give students an advantage throughout the university application process and once they start their degrees, wherever they choose to study.

“Weston College offers degree-level study in partnership with Bath Spa University and the University of the West of England, and our range of courses is expanding every year. As a recently designated College of Further and Higher Education, we are committed to providing effective information, advice and guidance to boost the aspirations and prospects of young people thinking about progressing to Higher Education. We look forward to welcoming students from near and far to this exciting day.”

Parents of prospective students are welcome to attend the Taster Day, as are adults returning to HE, or entering it for the first time.

Demonstrating experience of HE through taster sessions and other events is very useful when applying to UCAS, and all visitors to the College’s Taster Day will come away with something tangible to use in their portfolio.

Weston College is one of the top performing Colleges in the South West and is now officially a College of Further and Higher Education. Almost 100 per cent of graduates to on to employment within six months of graduating, and of those graduating in 2014, more than 20 per cent came away with First Class Honours degrees, compared with a national average of 16 per cent.

Anyone interested in coming to the HE Taster Day needs to book before Friday October 3. For more details please contact Weston College’s Higher Education Team on 01934 411 409 or by emailing  he.unit@weston.ac.uk

Weston College has been described as a ‘true beacon’ for colleges nationwide when it was presented two awards from the Association of Colleges (AoC).

The College has been handed two national Beacon Awards by the AoC; the UCAS Progress Award for Careers Education and Guidance and the Council for Learning Resources in Colleges Award for the Effective Integration of Libraries/Learning Resources Centres in Curriculum Delivery.

The awards recognise the hard work of the College’s ASPECT (Advice, School, Progression, Employability, Careers, Transition) team and its LibraryPlus team.

The AoC Beacon Award Local Presentation Ceremony was held at the College’s Conference and Events Centre, in Knightstone Road, on Tuesday 4th May.

The ceremony formally announced the two achievements and consisted of networking and a lunch followed by presentations and prize-giving.

Local businesses and dignitaries, including Weston-super-Mare’s Mayor Cllr Raymond Armstrong and Mayoress Joan Dunne, attended the ceremony. 

Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, Dr Paul Phillips OBE, said: “It’s tremendous, the work which goes on at Weston College. These two teams have shown a real entrepreneurial flair and have ensured the learner has come first.

“Thank you to all of the guests who attended the ceremony, your support demonstrates the importance of collaboration and partnership in a true sense – we are all working together to ensure learners succeed.”

Ian Monroe, South West Regional Director of the AoC and Jon Graystone, representing the AoC’s steering group which judged the awards, attended the ceremony to present the two awards.

Mr Graystone said: “I am delighted to recognise and celebrate these achievements. We received 140 nominations and the quality of the two from Weston College was clear and the reason that they won.

“The judging process is rigorous, it involves all nomination being made anonymous, and so judges are unaware which colleges they come from.

“Weston College is a true beacon for Colleges in the UK.” 

Are you interested in filmmaking but don’t know where to start? To save you searching online through pages and pages of guidance we’ve boiled it all down into five key pieces of advice for filmmaking novices…

Get out and shoot something

This is a fundamental part of our film courses, and crucial for anyone who wants to learn the art of filmmaking. Shooting as much as you can means you’ll learn about your equipment, but it doesn’t matter what you record with - you’ll still be learning what works and does not work when capturing a scene. We encourage our students to go out and film as much as possible, they make an average of 12 films over two years.

Learn to edit... it’s more accessible than ever before

Most computers and laptops these days come with basic video editing software as standard, and even on phones there are apps which can be utilised to edit recordings. At Weston College, our students have access to Adobe Premiere CC, Final Cut Pro and a huge range of supporting software. We have expert in-house tutor support on hand to guide our students through the editing process.

Upload your footage and test audience reaction

This means you’ll get valuable feedback on your work which you could use to improve your filmmaking. Our students regularly present their films to peers and tutors for feedback. You could upload your films to YouTube, Facebook or your own website, and when you’re confident enough submit them to film or art festivals. Our students’ films have screened at local cinemas including the Odeon, Watershed, Arnolfini and the Cube in recent years.

Watch everything you can

We encourage our students to watch a lot of films. The more you watch, the more you will be inspired to create. You can also pick up on other filmmakers’ techniques by watching their films, and recreate them to enhance your creations. At Weston College most of the tutors are working filmmakers themselves, and are able to give our students further insight into the filmmaking process.

Don’t give up. Keep creating, learning and refining

Every filmmaker has things that go wrong or wishes they could reshoot certain films, and even the best directors have flops. The more attempts you make, the more you will learn about filmmaking and the greater your chance at success.

We offer our students every opportunity to hone their skills; working on their own, with their peers and on industry based projects throughout their time with us. This intensive exposure to filmmaking is the best way of preparing you for your footsteps in the industry, in whichever direction they may go.

Want to find out more? Our film and media courses cover the basics of filmmaking and more!

Our chef apprenticeship scheme is helping to inspire the next generation of chefs, but everyone has to start somewhere! Here are our favourite simple kitchen hacks to help you cook up a storm...

Use dental floss to cut cakes

This might sound crazy, but dental floss is ideal for getting perfectly straight cuts in cake. Make sure you use unflavoured floss, pull it taut (make sure you use a piece wider than your cake) and then use it to cut straight down the cake. Voila! 

Pre-make your favourite herb mix

If you have a go-to herb mix you like to use in your cooking a lot, save time by making ahead! Just combine your choice of herbs with oil in ice cube trays, then freeze. When you’re ready to use them, just pop out a cube and defrost it in the pan.

Know how to store your food

Some fruit and veg can make other produce in your fridge ripen – and then rot – much faster. Bananas, avocados, apricots, apples and other foods release gases that cause other foods to rot, so be sure to keep them away from other fresh fruit and veg.

Always make sure your oil is hot enough

A lot of dishes require heating up your oil before you can cook. A simple way of checking is, rather than looking for hidden signals, throw in a small cube of bread. If it fries up, the oil is ready and you can take it out without affecting the other flavours in your dish.

You don’t necessarily need a garlic crusher

Recipe asking for crushed garlic but you don’t have a crusher? Not a problem. If you crush the clove with the flat side of your knife, it’ll make it easier to dice up into smaller pieces. Crushing the clove can also help if you’re finding it difficult to peel.

Find out more!

If you're interested in cooking, why not enrol onto our chef apprenticeship scheme? You can find out more information by visiting our hospitality page.