Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited Weston-super-Mare today (13th April) to open Weston College’s South West Skills Campus.

The South West Skills Campus, based at the former Bushacre Business Park on Locking Road, was purchased by the College in 2010 and has undergone a multimillion pound renovation to transform it into a facility for computing, engineering, technology, motor vehicles, and construction.

During the visit, The Princess Royal met key members of College leadership team including Dr Paul Phillips CBE, the College’s Principal and Chief Executive, as well as local dignitaries including the Mayor of Weston and the Chief Executive of North Somerset Council.

Her Royal Highness then went on a tour of the facilities, watched College students working in the engineering workshops, and met apprentices from GKN Aerospace and Rolls Royce, two large companies that have moved their engineering training to Weston College since it opened its engineering centre in 2015.

In the College’s computer numerical control workshop, The Princess Royal turned on an engraving machine that created a commemorative brass plaque, which was presented to Her Royal Highness at the end of the visit.

Following this, The Princess Royal was then invited to try a virtual reality device, before unveiling a plaque to open the campus, signing the visitors’ book and being presented with a Bristol Blue Glass Jug.

Before leaving, Her Royal Highness was given a posy by Herons’ Moor Academy pupil, 11 year old Libby Swinney.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “I am very proud to see where Weston College is today, and how the College has been an influence in the regeneration of Weston-super-Mare through the creation of inspiring facilities and the provision of excellent teaching and learning.

“I am honoured to celebrate the opening of the South West Skills Campus with The Princess Royal, who opened our Loxton campus a few years ago. It was interesting to hear her thoughts on the growth of the College since her last visit, and her thoughts on the importance of increasing the opportunities for women in the fields of science and engineering – something the College itself has been passionately working towards for a number of years.”

A Weston College Sixth Form student has finished runner-up in a national Young Enterprise award. Having already won the Regional Journey Award, and being one of just 3 people selected to go forward nationally.

Ilja Voroncovs was shortlisted in the ‘Journey’ category following his work on the Young Enterprise Company Programme.

The ceremony was held at London’s County Hall on July 6.

Ilja, who studies A Levels in Psychology and Sociology, and an Extended Certificate in Applied Science, won through to the national final after winning district and regional stages.

Ilja was accompanied to London by, his tutor, Elinor John, Lecturer in Photography and Employability Co-ordinator for the Sixth Form.

“We’re incredibly proud of Ilja and his achievements” said Elinor. “He’s grown tremendously and is deserving of the recognition.

“I nominated Ilja due to his increased confidence over the programme. Ilja was extremely shy at the beginning of the course, but flourished as a result of the opportunity with the Young Enterprise.

“The most rewarding aspect was that not only did his team, business advisors and I see the growth in Ilja, but he recognised it in himself.”

The Young Enterprise Company Programme is billed as “the ultimate teenage enterprise challenge”. Over the course of a year groups of students create and run real profit-generating businesses under the guidance of an expert business volunteer.

Journey Award nominators had to show how the programme helped the student develop the confidence to talk to strangers, deliver an empowering speech, overcome an obstacle or discover a new ability.

Ilja was among just a handful of students to reach the national final, out of the 16,500 who took part in this year’s Company Programme.

After finishing runner-up, Ilja said "I already felt like a winner".

Only businesses with an annual wage bill of £3 million pay into the levy

It is widely believed that all businesses pay into the apprenticeship levy, but this isn’t the case. Only employers that have an annual wage bill of more than £3 million pay into the apprenticeship levy. Organisations that meet this criteria must pay 0.5% of their wage bill into the levy, and this can only be retrieved by investing in apprenticeships.

For every £1 that a levy-paying organisation invests in an apprentice, the government adds 10p. If you don’t pay into the levy, the government will fund 90% of apprenticeship training costs!

Even business that don’t hire an apprentices are paying into the levy

Some businesses believe that you only pay into the levy if you hire an apprentice. But that’s not true. ALL BUSINESSES with a wage bill over £3 million pay into the levy.

So, by choosing not to train an apprentice, many businesses missing put on a share of the pot they’ve contributed to.

The levy can be used to train all employees - regardless of age

The levy doesn’t have to be used to train school leavers or new recruits. It can go towards the training of existing staff – regardless of age.

The levy can be used to provide members of staff with industry-specific or transferable skills, like team leading. Apprenticeships also cover a range of levels, including degree level. This is an effective way of developing existing staff and strengthening your work force.

The levy gives businesses more control over their apprenticeship programme

Another misconception is that businesses have less control over apprenticeships that are funded by the levy. That’s not true. In fact, the levy has actually made it easier for employers to choose bespoke packages that meet the needs of their business.

If you’re confused about the levy, or not sure how it can be used to benefit your business, get in touch with our Training Solutions team.

You can email apprenticeships@weston.ac.uk or call 01934 411 594.

Alternatively, you can find out more on the team’s webpage.

There have rarely been more employment opportunities in the UK construction industry than there are at present.

Companies are crying out for a new generation of qualified workers due to a skills shortage driven by new infrastructure projects, the government’s plans to build 300,000 homes a year, digitalisation of the industry and a rate of retirement that’s outstripping recruitment.

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has reported that the industry will need to find 157,000 new recruits by 2021.

This skills shortage brings with it a host of opportunities, including great employment prospects, job security and an exciting and varied career.

Weston College is at the forefront of this drive to create the next generation of skilled workers. Our South West Skills Campus, based at Locking Road in Weston-super-Mare is a hub for younger learners entering the industry, with courses such as: bricklaying, site carpentry and general construction skills, among others.

This year we will also be opening our Construction Training Centre, which expands on the existing construction training facilities by offering training and qualifications in three areas where the skills gap is at its widest – scaffolding, plant operations and groundworks. This Centre is based just off the M5 at Weston-super-Mare. For more details on training in these areas, please click here.

So, now you know there are a host of relevant courses on your doorstep, here are some more reasons to choose a career in the construction industry.

Employment opportunities

Around 157,000 new construction jobs are expected to be created over the next four years, as new projects are announced and a generation of workers retires.

The government has pledged to build 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s, which in itself, presents huge opportunities for aspiring construction workers.

Plus, the government has committed to an additional 3,000,000 apprenticeship ‘starts’ across all industries in England by 2020, with a substantial proportion of the opportunities likely to be within the construction sector.

This demand for workers also means that the sector boasts strong job security.

Job satisfaction

Few careers are as rewarding as those in the construction industry.

The satisfaction of seeing your work develop in front of your eyes is one of the most fulfilling aspects of working in construction. You can watch a building transform and grow into the finished product, knowing you have made an important and lasting contribution to the landscape.

Competitive pay

The construction industry is highly competitive, meaning that the salaries are, too. Most technical trainee roles can start on £25,000 a year, while more experienced technical workers can earn £48,000 and above. Trades roles also pay well, generally, with higher skilled workers earning from £15-£25 per hour.

Variety and choice

The construction industry is extremely varied and offers something for everyone – from carpenters, plasterers, plumbers and bricklayers, to engineers, surveyors and project managers. What’s more, no two jobs are the same or in the same location. This means you can work in a huge variety of projects during your career, and will have the opportunity to work across the country and, possibly, abroad.

You’re always being challenged – physically and mentally – and required to find solutions for new problems.

Progression opportunities

The wide variety of roles and projects brings many opportunities to progress. Construction is also viewed as a very meritocratic industry where hard work pays off – after all, many company CEOs started out at the bottom. And, unlike other sectors, construction workers are frequently presented with opportunities to gain new skills and move into different roles.

Innovation rewarded

The construction industry is constantly evolving, as client expectations grow, projects become more complex, and technology improves. Companies continuously need to find more innovative ways to design, build and deliver, which creates opportunities for new employees with fresh ideas and methods.

For more information on our construction courses, please click here.

The digital age we live in puts a wealth of resources and technology at our fingertips.

At Weston College, we use these digital advantages to make learning more accessible through the ‘Flexible Learning Fund’ (FLF). Our digital learning team works closely with curriculum staff to adapt lesson content into digital formats, whilst ensuring virtual learning remains engaging and high quality.

This enables people whose circumstances might prevent them from physically attending college to access the same opportunities and make the most of some of the fantastic part-time courses that are available. This flexible approach also helps students on Access to Higher Education courses, by enabling work and research to be completed outside the academic year so it doesn’t interfere with other courses.

Compared to an average online learning course, the digital learning team goes the extra mile to connect learners with a personal tutor. These lecturers, who have a breadth of experience in their industry, provide their students with the same care and attention as those studying in a ‘traditional’ sense.

This is all done through the Virtual Learning Environment where participants receive and submit work and interact with their tutors. Hattie Abretti, Digital Learning Development Manager, said: “Although we are still in our infancy as a team, we already have a strong ethos and model to which we develop our courses.

“We want learners to engage with content, not be spoon fed. Our primary focus is providing quality access to our outstanding subject specialists and opportunities to participate in, and build, learning communities.”

The team made fantastic progress since being formed just over a year ago, with courses such as the Autism Awareness Award experiencing high levels of intake. The team currently comprises five members of staff:

At Weston College, we feel it is important for students to meet industry professionals and get a taste for industry life. We invite businesses in, to talk to our learners and inspire the next generation.

One business that visited last year, is Bristol and Cardiff based marketing agency, Cre8ion. We asked their CEO Darrell Irwin, a few questions about his business, and the importance of engaging with tomorrow’s workforce.

Who are Cre8ion and what do you offer?

At Cre8ion we have developed a brand automation product called Genesis Brands. This cutting edge approach to branding is helping start-ups get a head start. Removing the cost of time and talent using a branding agency would entail the user answers questions and the system generates brands, both in a cloud for you to download and useable assets to get your message out there!

Why did you decide to inspire students through a guest lecture?

We believe tomorrow’s generation will help us innovate for the needs of tomorrow. Apple have been doing this for years and businesses that ‘get it’ secure legacy.

You can teach theory but by using this product we could help them build a brand using that theory and have the ability to execute their brand in minutes not days.

We are committed to helping students and entrepreneurs punch above their weight without spending thousands.

Were there any specific highlights you had whilst working with Weston College learners?

That 60 students built 60 great brands in minutes and were amazed that they could bring an idea to life so quickly.

How has your automation system helped develop Weston College learners?

A practical understanding with brand and practical application made for a great workshop with applied knowledge.

Essentially, they students had access to 25 years of knowledge online!

They made design choices quickly while getting a clear idea of what mission, vision and values actually are.

What advice would you give to a business considering running sessions with Weston College learners?

We’d advise other employers to make use of this great opportunity – we got to expose our business to the future generation. My tips would be make sure that students have a clear outcome and gain knowledge that can be applied to their own personal career journey.

You can check out Cre8ion’s Genesis brand here.

If you are interested in delivering a guest lecture, or joining our business network, please fill in the form below.

In a time where timetables are packed out with lessons and supporting extra-curricular activities, lecturers time is more valuable than ever.

As we move further into a digital age, we’ve experienced a huge increase in the number of emails and repetitive digital communications that lecturers are having to deal with on a daily basis.

In response, we’ve teamed up with Purlos to co-design a digital assistant that will help to reduce the time spent answering repetitive questions from students.

Purlos’ mission is to drive efficiencies for academic institutions in order to focus on their students.

The purpose of this chat bot will be to answer personalised questions that learners send to lecturers over our secure sharepoint system: Microsoft Teams.

By pulling information from the internet, the state-of-the-art bot can answer questions where the answers are sometimes difficult and time consuming to find online.

Furthermore, the bot is particularly impressive when answering questions where the information is not online.

For instance, if someone asks “What time is our Maths lesson today?”, the bot will be able to send an automatic response based on the information that has been curated by the administrator.

This will therefore give learners a much faster response and save staff time by alleviating the need to respond to the same questions.

Additional benefits could also extend to distance learning where 1:1 contact is not often possible. This will enable more people to access the same help and information, whatever their circumstances. Approximately 100 students recently had the opportunity to have a trial run of the software.

Jon Hofgartner, Assistant Director in Technology Learning Resources Skills & Progression, added “Weston College offers a large range of services, support and resources for learners.

“Knowing how, when and where to access these when needed is where we feel a digital assistant can help our learners .

“This development aims to help learners find answers to common questions about their time at College as well as signpost key services.

“We’re also adding features to connect students with online videos from LinkedIn Learning to help them develop a range of skills and knowledge to give them the edge.”

Two graduates from the BA (Hons) Graphic Design, run in partnership with Bath Spa University, have taken up graduate designer roles with Dyson.

Amelia Hurrell and Laura Hughes both graduated with First Class Honours in 2013 and had been working as freelance designers as well as taking up intern positions - Amelia at Sky Creative, having won the New Designers Sky Award 2013, and Laura at Proctor and Stevenson, a prestigious web design company.

Thanks to the strong reputation of the College’s degree provision in Graphic Design, Victoria Norcross, Programme Co-ordinator for FdA and BA (Hons) Graphic Design, was contacted by Ben Tappenden, Creative Head of Graphics and Packaging at Dyson and asked to recommend some graduates for the role of Junior Designer. Amelia and Laura were both successful at interview.

Ben said: “The candidates from Weston College were strong in interview and had encouraging portfolios. Laura and Amelia are competent and exciting graduate designers with a good sense of fun, enthusiasm, confidence, professionalism and ambition in abundance.”

Victoria said: "The achievements of these students are testament to the excellent work-based opportunities they had whilst studying at Weston College. It's great to see them being so highly regarded and working in high-profile companies so soon after graduating."

Amelia said: “The BA (Hons) in Graphic Design degree at Weston College was the perfect springboard for me. It provided the necessary skills and experience - through work placements and communication with local design agencies - to be successful at interview and secure a graduate job with Dyson. I’ve really enjoyed my time at Dyson so far, having been involved in a wide range of projects that have allowed me to exercise the skills I learnt at the College, and I can’t wait to see what challenges await me in the future.”

Laura said: “Studying at Weston College equipped me with skills and real world experience to give me the best possible start to my career. If I hadn’t been to Weston I doubt I could have gained my position at Dyson. Since starting in my role I have been involved in a wide range of really interesting projects and been through a great graduate induction programme. It’s amazing to work for such a big company that is so well respected and always at the cutting edge of design." 

Weston College will be holding a unique open event that will bring together prospective students and employers wishing to recruit apprentices in a variety of sectors.

Businesses from across the region with live apprenticeship vacancies will be at the College’s Knightstone Campus from 5pm to 8pm on Tuesday 15th March in order to provide information about their companies, describe the job roles available and answer any questions.

Some of the employers will also offer interactive workshops at the event, which is being held to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week.

Among employers attending the open evening will be: Purplex Marketing, Honey Tree Nursery, Concierge and Notaro Homes.

Training managers from the College will be available throughout the evening to discuss apprenticeships and share apprentice portfolios to give people an understanding of what is expected of an apprentice.

The Weston College Apprenticeships Team will also be in attendance to offer advice and guidance on apprenticeships and traineeships, and will be on hand to support attendees with applications and CVs.

All three of the College’s campuses will be open and representatives from all courses and subject areas will be available to provide advice and guidance.

Dr Paul Phillips OBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “This year we wanted to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week in style and this open evening is a great way to do that. It presents a fantastic opportunity for anyone of any age that wants to become an apprentice to meet with employers who are currently recruiting.

“Apprenticeships are a key focus for Weston College as we recognise the importance of them to help drive the economy and develop the skills that businesses need.

Register below to reserve a place at the event: