A Weston College former Apprentice and winner of the Principal’s Outstanding Achievement Award has become UK National Apprentice of the Year.

Emma Rogers, 20, was also the College’s Apprentice of the Year in 2010 and the young mum, who is profoundly dyslexic, has opened her own shop – Beauty by Emma in Wedmore.

Emma, of Nyland, Cheddar, said: “I was so shocked and happy when I was told I’d won National Apprentice of the Year; it’s the best award yet.

“Every time I win something it’s a great surprise but inspires me to go on to the next thing.

“Studying at Weston College has been an amazing journey for me and it’s one I am keen to share to help support other young people find their path in life.” Emma will receive her Adult Learners’ Week Apprentice of the Year certificate at a lunch in London’s Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre on May 20th.

David Hughes, Chief Executive of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education is set to host the event.

Emma is also set to go to a Parliamentary reception on Thursday, May 16 at Westminster hosted by the All Party Group for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning chaired by MP’s Kelvin Hopkins, Robert Halfon and Stephen Lloyd.

Weston College Principal and Chief Executive, Dr Paul Phillips OBE, said: “This is an amazing achievement for Emma which she rightly deserves.

“All our students are special to us. With 30,000 enrolments, 30 A Levels, more than 100 vocational courses, 50 Apprenticeships and an expected turnover next year of nearly £45 million - we are the best in the West.”

Emma started her Apprenticeship in April 2010 but left in December to have her son Charlie-James. When he was just three months old she returned to win Gold in her first UK WorldSkills heat. Emma went on to win two WorldSkills rounds and then gold at the National Final. As top beautician in the UK she trained to represent the United Kingdom in Germany.

WorldSkills is the largest unique biannual global competition involving almost 1,000 apprentices and students, aged 18 to 24 in 46 skill areas. Around 5,500 young people compete for a place in the British squad made up of world-class vocational competitors in skills including mobile robotics, graphic design, carpentry, catering and mechanics. At the same time she completed her Level 2 and progressed to Level 3 beauty therapy and took care of Charlie-James who is now two years old.

Emma said: “I struggled at school because I’m dyslexic but I was happy to find what I was good at. I have to force myself to deal with paperwork for my business but do it.

“I didn’t expect to be a mum so young but having Charlie-James inspired me to get on and make the most of my life. His dad is very supportive, as are both our families”.

“My business is successful and it’s thanks to the training, support and vision I received at Weston College.””

Emma was nominated by her tutor, Head of Apprentices in Beauty, Hair, Barbering and Nails, Tanita Veal.

Tanita added: “Every now and then someone crosses your path who is truly exceptional. Emma is like a breath of fresh air.

“She’s displayed drive, passion, enthusiasm and total dedication to her apprenticeship, training and learning.

“We supported her dyslexia and Emma has overcome this and proved it isn’t a barrier to learning. She is an amazing person with courage, focus and commitment.”

If you've been inspired by Emma's story and would like to find out more about the Apprenticeships we offer, visit our Apprenticeship section.

A group of former art students are keeping the skills they learned alive through exhibitions and workshops at the town’s Old Quarry Studios in Queen’s Road

A collection of old industrial buildings was converted for artists’ use in the late 1990s and now there is a thriving group of painters, potters, sculptors, photographers and printmakers - almost all of whom trained at the College - making work there.

The artists have just held a group exhibition at the Rowan Tree tea rooms, next to the studios, and have regular open days on the first Saturday of each month.

Next week a group of current  BA students will be exhibiting at the gallery, and there are plans to run courses for students in the use of a wood-fired kiln, which has been built by studio member Simon Taylor.

Simon is also a Ceramic Lecturer and Course Leader for the mature UAL Arts Foundation programme, and works alongside his dad, ceramicist Sinclair Taylor. Simon has taught several of the studio members and is hoping to inspire the latest generation of student artists with his ‘Anagama’ kiln, which he thinks might be one of the smallest of its kind in the world.

He said: “ I built this kiln not just for personal use as a practicing ceramicist but also for my students at the College.

“Weston Quarry Studios houses many artists and designers who have progressed from the College’s Foundation and Degree Courses and are now working as practicing artists with some flourishing professional businesses. I am particularly proud that I have taught many of these artists who have continue to demonstrate high motivation and commitment to the arts initiated from their original training at the College.”

Vicki Campbell is one of the artists at the studios and is a former College student and lecturer. She said: “My time at the College was very encouraging and stimulating and the staff were great. That experience has led to me joining this studio and pursuing my creativity in a lovely environment.”

Joan Hall is in her 80s, but still loves to paint JMW Turner-inspired seascapes. She said: “the College was a great experience for me and it taught me to explore different techniques that I still use in my painting.”

Weston College student Chloe Edrich, 16, could be heading to Rio de Janeiro this summer after securing a place at the national time trials for the 2016 Olympics.

Chloe, who studies A Levels at the College and is a member of its Academy of Sport, posted a qualifying time in the 200m breast stroke and will attempt to make the required time in the 400m individual medley and 400m breaststroke.

Chloe said: “Studying at Weston College has enabled me to improve my swimming, but has also supported me in achieving my academic targets.”

Her mother, Kelly Edrich, said: “It was amazing to see her smash the time she needed.

“She’s done fantastically well so far and it would be brilliant if she could make it all the way.”

Paul Taylor, Sports Development and Performance Manager at the College, said: “Chloe has worked incredibly hard to get to this point.

“Combining an Elite Athletic and Academic programme is challenging and requires commitment and dedication, we are very proud of her achievements.”

The Weston College Academy of Sport offers aspiring sportsmen and women an opportunity to further develop their potential, providing them with outstanding coaching, training and support both individually and as a team.

It allows College students to combine their academic or vocational studies with participation in sporting activities at local, regional and national levels.

Last month we attended the opening ceremony of Essential Beauty and Aesthetics, a beauty salon run by former Weston College student Jessica Stagg in Weston-super-Mare.

Now, Jessica wants to pass on the things she’s learned to others in the hope that it will help them set up their very own salons.

Being a salon owner, I have learned that you need to give everyone a little piece of what you know to show the knowledge and passion of understanding the industry.

My first experience of the beauty industry was at Weston College, where I achieved my first beauty therapy qualifications and gained my first steps into the industry.

It’s hard work to get to where you want to be, but so rewarding and you learn so much along the way.

Here are my top tips for people who want to open their own salon...

Learning is key

Many salons and spas do things in different ways. Management styles are different, staff and clientele are different, but each successful salon has gone through a learning curve to enable it to sculpt itself into the format that works best for its particular needs.

The things you learn from other salons might not be right for your business, but there are always aspects you can take away and learn from.

Experience is everything

The more experience you can get the better. It took me five years working in salons before I had gained enough experience to ‘go it alone’.

Try working in both salon and spa environments to gain knowledge of a range of treatments and learn as much as possible about them. Visiting salons and spas to experience not only the treatment but the customer service and environment is also a crucial part of the process.

Experiment with products

Every salon has its own recommended brands and products, and they choose these through experimenting to find the products that best suit their needs.

When choosing your preferred products, think about value for money, the kind of results they achieve, but most importantly – the experience of your clients.

Organising is crucial

While it may be easy to get distracted by the aesthetics, the treatments and the products you use, don’t forget the business side of things.

A salon is just like any other shop, but the product you’re selling is a satisfied customer. You need to get the costs and organisation of the business right in order for your salon to be successful.

The customer comes first

Talk to the customers, learn what they like and don’t like, and tailor your treatments around this feedback – it’s the most important and valuable advice you can get.

Every customer needs an amazing experience throughout their contact with the salon, and not just during the treatment. Every interaction needs to be amazing, including marketing, the booking process, the treatment itself and ongoing care.

Last week, school students from across the South West spent the day with us at Weston College for a taster of what it’s like to study Performing Arts, here at our very own Knightstone Campus.

The students spent the day learning dance routines and how to warm up your vocals just like the pros. They even got to watch our own students rehearse and practice for one of their upcoming shows – giving them the perfect opportunity to experience a typical rehearsal day.

The students from Priory and Clevedon, learnt multitudes of professional dance, breathing and vocal exercises and finished their workshop with a group performance of Billy Elliot’s, Electricity.

Ashleigh Garfield from Priory School said “I am 100% sure that I will do this course now. I can’t wait to come”.

If you’re still unsure of what courses you’d like to study at college, sign up to one of our taster days to get a first-hand experience of what they’re really like. Our next workshops are due to run on Tuesday and Wednesday of the February half-term, and are available in most subject areas.

Take a look at what we have to offer and sign up to our FREE workshops here: www.weston.ac.uk/tasters

There are so many cooking and hospitality programmes dominating television – from Bake Off and Come Dine With Me to MasterChef and Hell’s Kitchen. But have you ever wondered what it would really be like to work in the industry?

You can travel the world

Being a chef is the ideal career for anyone with a bit of wanderlust, because you can be a chef anywhere in the world, and sometimes you will end up travelling to discover new flavours and techniques!

You never stop learning

As a chef, you are constantly learning new things, experimenting and perfecting your technique. You’ll never reach a point where you know it all, because it’s such a diverse career that there is always more to learn.

It’s not like the TV programmes

Some TV chefs paint a certain (sometimes very solo!) image of being a chef, and while the job doesn’t come without pressure it’s very different to the occasionally glamorous TV portrayal. Be prepared to work, but also remember you’ll have a team of people supporting you.

You’ll probably work long hours

Everyone looking to embark on a career as a chef needs to be prepared for long, unsociable hours – that’s just one of the realities of the job. But you can be sure that, while this seems daunting, it’s one of the most rewarding and varied professions for the right person.

There’s always progression routes in your career

Because hospitality is such a diverse industry, there’s plenty of progression routes whatever your goals are. Whether you’re looking to be a fantastic all-round chef or specialise in a particular cuisine, there are always jobs and ways to move up in your career.

Interested?

If being a chef sounds like the career for you, an apprenticeship with the Food and Drink Academy at Weston College is an ideal place to start. You can learn all the skills you need to be a chef, while earning a wage. For more information, visit the hospitality and catering page.

Weston College has employed Chris Lemin as its new Curriculum Lead for Cyber Security. Cyber security is the process of protecting networks, systems and  data from cyber-attacks. It is a hot topic, with the government estimating that large businesses face an average cost of £19,600 when presented with a cyber-security breach.

Chris brings a wealth of knowledge to the role, having worked for the Royal Air Force and as a commercial cyber-threat intelligence analyst for the past three years. As part of his most recent role, Chris dealt with a wide array of companies, assisting them in defending attacks from the internet.  

In February, Capgemini’s Digital Transformation Institute produced a study based on 1,200 senior executives, which highlighted that 68% of organisations are reporting a high demand for cyber skills. Chris is now writing the Level 4 cyber security apprenticeship standards, and is ensuring that these meet the needs of employers and give students the relevant training to meet these skills gaps. These apprenticeships will offer students the perfect mix of both education and exposure to the cyber security world, while gaining a formal qualification.  

As well as the new cyber security apprenticeship, the College is developing a cyber lab which will be based at the Winter Gardens.  This will allow the students the opportunity to practice a range of scenarios, from testing insecure networks to reconfiguring a network, giving them hands on experience.

Chris said: “Education is the key to cyber security, we are aiming to help organisations to meet the needs of their skills gap.”

Weston College is providing staff with the opportunity to boost their digital skills.

The new ‘Digital Advocate’ programme is a part of Weston College’s digital vision – to create an environment in which learners can use real-world technologies to create, collaborate and share.

Staff will be recognised as Digital Advocates, and will help to identify opportunities for further digital enhancement, as well as share new practices.

Digital Advocates will form a cross-College group, supported by the College’s dedicated Learning Technologists. The network of Digital Advocates will share new digital developments, approaches and form a community of good practice.

The College works closely with Microsoft, and Digital Advocates will have access to a range of resources, support and certification, including Microsoft Certified Educator.

Liam Fisher, the College’s Learning Technology Manager, said: “This is a really exciting new programme, and one which is sure to enhance the learners experience at the College.

“We believe that developing digital skills and practices in our staff and learners is the key to unlocking the potential for technology to transform our teaching and learning.”

It can’t have escaped your attention that further education is undergoing a major shift towards workplace learning.

Locally and nationally, we’re experiencing widening skills gaps in numerous sectors, which requires government, providers and employers to work together to find alternative ways of providing the skills the economy demands.

Among the government’s solutions is the T Level qualification – described as the biggest overhaul in post-school education for 70 years.

And Weston College will be at the forefront of this ‘revolution’ as one of 54 providers selected to pilot the new qualification.

T Levels will be available in 15 industry-related subjects, known as ‘pathways’. We will deliver the Digital (software applications design and development) T Level from September 2020 – two years before the full roll-out.

T Levels provide a genuine alternative, and equivalent, to A Levels. They’re aimed at 16 to 19-year-olds who would rather study work-related courses than traditional academic subjects. As well as preparing learners for employment, T Levels are designed to raise career aspirations and to dispel the myth that vocational courses are the poor relation of A Levels.

An integral component of each T Level programme is a high-quality, structured and outcome-focused industry placements.

T Level learners must undertake an industry placement of 315 hours (45 days) before they can complete the course. However, industry placements will be important in their own right, by helping young people gain the skills needed to move into employment.

Delivering such extensive and authentic workplace learning clearly requires a huge commitment from local employers. We’ve taken great strides over the last decade to forge close relationships with businesses but, with T Levels fast approaching, we’re working even harder, and putting even greater resources, into building new partnerships with industry.

After successfully applying for Capacity and Delivery Funding (CFD), we’ve put in place a Work Placement Team, whose remit is to work with employers from across the region to establish and develop high-quality placements that fulfil genuine commercial need.

The team will also provide support and guidance throughout the placement and monitor learners’ progress.

T Levels represent a tremendous opportunity for employers.

The curriculum is shaped by employers and benefits from the unique insights of business leaders. The industry placements at their core provide businesses with talent pipeline where they can develop their, potential, future workforce according to need. They also allow existing staff members to share their knowledge and develop mentoring skills.

Aside from T Levels, work experience is at the core of virtually all Weston College provision.

All our FE courses are part of a ‘study programme’ that is designed to prepare young people for their future career. Our facilities aim to mimic real-life workplaces and some – including our Hair and Beauty Centre and Grove Restaurant – operate as commercial businesses.

We recently became one of just 22 providers to be awarded Career College status. This significant investment will enable the College to provide an extra 1,000 places for 16 to 19-year-olds, who want to combine academic studies with practical, work-based learning.

These developments and facilities will complement the T Level curriculum as we prepare for the pilot.

It’s an honour and an exciting challenge for the College to be helping to roll out this pioneering new qualification, but it also represents a huge opportunity for regional businesses – one I’d urge them to get involved in.

If you’d like to find out more about T Levels and/or industry placements, please get in touch with our Work Placement Team workplacementteam@weston.ac.uk