News and events

Romina, one of our ESOL learners, is a finalist for the Learning Hero Award at the Bristol Young Heroes Awards! The Learning Hero Award is sponsored by Sir Steve West CBE - who Romina will be speaking with during the awards this June.

Romina was nominated for the Learning Hero Award for her unwavering commitment to learning and her inspiring support of fellow students - especially within the Weston ESOL community - encouraging them to continue their educational journeys. Romina has played a vital role in helping numerous individuals begin their college journeys, with a particular focus on empowering women to pursue education. 

She has supported her parents in helping to her siblings to learn English and works at Love’s Café, where she continues to assist other ESOL learners. Her dedication extends beyond helping others, as she has rapidly progressed to Entry Level 3 herself and is passionately working toward her goal of becoming a nurse.

In addition to all these achievements, Romina recently completed a Hospitality course at Love’s Café, where she gained valuable customer service skills, learned essential customer-facing language, mastered card payment procedures, and became familiar with the menu options. She also earned a food hygiene certificate, equipping her with the knowledge and confidence to work in the hospitality industry.

Well done for all of your hard work Romina – we can’t wait to see you continue to achieve great things!

We recently welcomed students from Electrical, Plastering, Carpentry, and Creative Arts to our Creative Construction Skills Summit at the Winter Gardens - each subject area bringing energy, creativity, and a real sense of purpose. 

The student’s challenge was to design a piece of public art that also generates sustainable energy, which encouraged conversation about the links between the Creative and Construction industries – which many students may not have previously considered! From floating solar designs to kinetic sculptures, their ideas were not only imaginative but genuinely inspiring.

A huge thank you to SLX Events and the brilliant Casey Howells, who shared an impactful message about the value of core skills, kindness, and seeing the world through different lenses - an approach that opens doors across all industries.

Special thanks to the incredible Adz Khan, whose talk on responsibility, action, networking, and self-belief lit up the room. His message was clear: work experience isn’t just a tick-box, it’s a powerful opportunity to grow and shape your future.

We’re also grateful to our amazing staff, especially the Weston College support teams, School Liaison, and Personal Development teams - your dedication made this event a success.

Richard Hanney, Head of Construction, said: "We look forward to continuing our work with Adz and others who help inspire our students. If we can share even a bit of that insight and energy, we’re moving in the right direction. Here’s to more spaces where creativity meets community, skills meet opportunity, and kindness drives innovation!"

To find out more about our construction courses, click here. 

To find out more about our creative courses, click here.

Last month, our Sport and Fitness students had the opportunity to attend an engaging workshop led by Sport Psychologist, Marcus Nel. The session offered valuable insight into the field of sport psychology, as Marcus shared his personal journey, answered industry-related questions, and delivered a dynamic workshop designed to deepen students' understanding of the career paths available to them.

Marcus Nel is a highly qualified Sport Psychologist known for his holistic and collaborative approach to enhancing mental resilience in athletes. His work bridges the mind-body connection to help individuals perform at their best. Currently a lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at UWE Bristol, Marcus has also worked with organisations such as the Bristol Bears Rugby Club and Gloucester Cricket Club, delivering tailored psychological support to optimise performance and wellbeing.

During the workshop, Marcus introduced students to the core responsibilities of a sport psychologist and walked them through what a typical day in the profession looks like. He then moved into an interactive session designed to boost self-awareness. Students were asked to complete a performance profile, helping them reflect on their current mindset and individual strengths.

To explore the concept of anxiety, Marcus led students through an immersive task. First, they completed a questionnaire measuring different types of anxiety—somatic, cognitive, and self-confidence. Then, he surprised them with a challenge: they were told they would have to sing in front of the class. With this unexpected twist, students filled out the same questionnaire again, this time using a different coloured pen to highlight their emotional responses. This activity helped them connect theoretical concepts with real emotional experiences—nervousness, increased heart rate, sweaty palms—and better understand how anxiety can affect performance.

The session concluded with a Q&A, where students were encouraged to ask in-depth questions. Marcus provided honest, insightful responses that gave a realistic perspective on working in the sport psychology field.

This workshop was a fantastic opportunity for students to explore alternative career paths they may not have previously considered. A huge thank you to Marcus Nel for delivering such an engaging session to our learners.

If you’re interested in applying to one of our Sport & Fitness courses, click here.

This Guest Lecture forms part of the Sport & Fitness Careers Excellence Hub. Weston College's Career Excellence Hubs are designed to be the launching pad for our learners' careers. In a world where connections and relevant skills matter more than ever, these hubs offer a holistic approach that prepares learners to thrive in their chosen industries. With the support of these hubs, our learners are well-equipped to make a significant impact in their professional journeys. 

If you are passionate about education and are looking for an opportunity to join the staff team at a leading college, then look at the latest job vacancies available at Weston College here. You can find all the latest job opportunities that Weston College has to offer, with a commitment to providing quality education for learners and a focus on continuous professional development for staff, Weston College is an excellent place to work and grow in your career.