News and events

Weston College’s A-Level Politics students recently had the opportunity to take part in an engaging question-and-answer session with local MP Dan Aldridge, who visited the college to discuss his experiences and views on a range of current political issues.

During the session, Dan Aldridge spoke about several key topics, including votes for 16- and 17-year-olds, the future of Weston’s high street, recognition of Palestine, investment in artificial intelligence, and reflections on his first year as a Member of Parliament. His insights offered students a valuable, real-world perspective on how national and local politics intersect from an influential, political professional.

Students came prepared with thoughtful and challenging questions, prompting lively discussion on the same themes. The Q&A provided a rare opportunity for them to engage directly with a sitting MP and explore how policy ideas translate into practical decision-making.

The visit also gave students a clearer understanding of what an MP does and how someone can enter a career in politics. Dan Aldridge encouraged those interested in political careers to get involved, stressing the importance of youth participation in shaping the future and the impact that young people can have on public life.

Dan Aldridge shared his experience, saying: “It was brilliant to spend time with Weston’s next generation – even if their questions were tougher and better thought out than some I hear across the benches in Parliament! That curiosity and challenge is exactly what makes me so excited about our town’s future.”

“Weston College really is a powerhouse – from apprenticeships to degree-level study, it’s giving local people the skills they need to thrive and showing that Weston can punch well above its weight nationally. Huge thanks to the staff and students for the warm welcome – I left inspired (and sharpened from the grilling!).”

Reflecting on the event, the Politics department said they were delighted with how engaged the students were and expressed hopes to welcome more visiting speakers from the world of politics as the academic year continues.

A big thank you to Dan Aldridge for taking the time to visit and engage with our A Level Politics students, sharing your valuable insights and enduring the challenging questions curated by our students.

This guest lecture forms part of the Sixth Form 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.

On September 30th, our Engineering Apprentices attended a Sustainability Conference in the Winter Gardens Ballroom where they received guest lectures from a range of employers and industry professionals regarding their approach to sustainability in the workplace and how they are incorporating it into their systems.  

The day was kickstarted with guest speaker, Olivia Whittle, a Project Officer at Celtic Sea Power. She discussed the company’s work to develop a strong and sustainable workforce for the Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) sector in the Celtic Sea. This helps to deliver offshore renewable energy at scale, and support upgrades to ports, grid and infrastructure. This gave our learners a deeper understanding into sustainable, offshore renewable energy and the impacts this has on the environment.  

This was followed by guest speaker, Clare Hennessey, the Planning and Sustainability Director at Bristol Airport. During her lecture, she discussed the sustainability progression of Bristol Airport in upcoming years, with the new refurbishment and plan for the future, making Bristol Airport one of the leading sustainable airports in the UK. Clare also discussed how Bristol Airport has completed the first successful UK airport trial for the ground-breaking airside hydrogen refuelling trial, led by easyJet. This is a plan to create zero emission aviation and eventually introduce hydrogen-powered aircraft.  

Following this was guest speaker, Matt Whale, the Framework Manager at Octavius Infrastructure Ltd, to discuss the leading transport solutions provider and how they enforce sustainability goals within their work. Their organisation ensures efficient transport networks by keeping trains running smoothly and traffic moving on the roads. They discussed their plans to make transport more sustainable by aiming for net zero carbon emissions, more efficient use of resources, as well as their goals for biodiversity net gain.  

After lunch, learners were given a hands-on task to create a bridge with the other students on their tables. They were given a project brief and specifications to follow which they were later marked on. They were asked to create a powered bridge which opened to allow for goods and services to pass through, with other criteria to follow to ensure it was practical for the location. They also had to create a comprehensive and annotated diagram of their designs, show clear calculations based on the figures provided in the specification, and provide a project plan which identified the team roles and responsibilities.  

Students had a range of materials to choose from to create their design, and once they had decided on a design, they collaboratively worked to execute their ideas. Their work was marked on how well they followed the project brief, if their drawings of their designs were detailed, labelled with materials, and explained how they would be manufactured. They were also marked on their calculations to ensure their designs were feasible, as well as how sustainable their products would be by providing innovative solutions. There were 80 points available in total for each team to achieve.  

All groups created innovative designs which closely reflected the brief using the materials available. They all came up with strong sustainability ideas and themes within their designs by considering the impactful solutions that the employers had discussed in their guest talks earlier in the event. 

This project was an excellent way for a range of different apprentices to work together to create a design that followed strict criteria, an excellent reflection of what many of them will be required to do when working with clients and employers. It gave them great experience to think practically and come up with innovative ideas as well as consider alternative solutions for the same conclusion. It is projects like this that prepare our students for the industry and allow them to meet like-minded individuals who will have different ideas and broaden each other's problem-solving skills.  

This event was an excellent opportunity for students to hear about the different sustainable approaches that large organisations are taking to ensure a greener future and improved systems. As the future generation of engineers, it is important for them to learn ways to adapt and develop new structures and approaches to keep moving forward. They also learnt more about the possible career pathways available depending on their interests, so they have a better understanding of their options after their apprenticeships.   

Thank you to Celtic Sea Power, Bristol Airport, and Octavius for taking the time to visit our students and discuss the sustainable approaches you are taking to improve your organisations.  

This event forms part of the Engineering & Green Skills 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.  

Progress to the next level in Engineering! At University Centre Weston (UCW) our students give us impressive feedback, with our latest National Student Survey results putting us above average in all nine areas! Find out more about our exceptional teaching, wellbeing services and learning resources by visiting our website. Click here! 

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. 

Former student, Ollie Haley, finished the Business, Management & Leadership T Level in September 2024, after completing his 8-week placement at Lloyds Banking Group. After the successful completion of his T Level, Ollie was offered a full-time apprenticeship as a Senior Financial Assistant at Lloyds Banking Group.  

Before college, Ollie wished to go into the Royal Marines but decided to complete a college course so he would have something to fall back on if needed. Originally, Ollie was going to choose to do a Bricklaying apprenticeship course as a way to earn money while he studied, however the Business T Level caught his eye, so he decided to pursue that before starting the Royal Marines. After starting his T Level placement at Lloyds Banking Group, he found an interest in insurance and finance and decided to continue his career in this field post T Level when he was offered a full-time apprenticeship with Lloyds Banking Group.  

He has almost completed his Level 4 apprenticeship and once finished, he will progress to his Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Level 7. After the successful completion of the Level 7 apprenticeship, he will become a full Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) and a Grade D Assistant Manager at Lloyds Banking Group.   

As part of his apprenticeship, Ollie was given a range of tasks to complete, one of which being the role of monthly reconciliations which was previously an Assistant Manager’s responsibility. However, after working with the system, he concluded that it was too time-consuming to continue with the amount of manual input required, so decided to make changes. He removed a lot of the old system and increased the amount of automation using formulas which reduced the time spent on the task and freed up space for additional tasks and an increased workload.   

Ollie’s use of initiative and resourcefulness meant that the efficiency of the monthly reconciliations was largely improved, impressing management and colleagues within his first year of the job. He is now preparing a Tier 2 subsidiary account and will be moving onto a Tier 1 subsidiary account later this year which will be the largest account he has been responsible for within his apprenticeship.  

Due to the impact his T Level had on his development and goals, Ollie wanted to mentor a current T Level student on their Lloyds Banking Group placement. He convinced his manager to allow him to have the first T Level student to work in Insurance as opposed to Global Finance Support GFS where all other T Level students complete their placement. This was extremely successful, with his student doing an excellent job throughout her placement and providing her with new skills within finance and business management.  

Ollie said, “I wouldn’t be where I am now without the T Level. I got my apprenticeship through my placement and haven’t looked back since – I wouldn’t change it for anything. I felt so supported throughout my placement by the staff at Weston College, especially from my lecturer, Emma Hussey. She helped me find what I enjoyed, and I realised that I’m really good at what I do. I’d recommend anyone considering the T Level to go for it, it’s given me so many more opportunities.”  

Ollie recently returned to Weston College as a group mentor for the Business Enterprise Challenge, mentoring students with their brand and helping them create products to sell to raise money for Weston Hospicecare. He has also offered to deliver a Finance guest lecture to our current Business, Management & Leadership T Level students to share his journey, experiences and insight into working at a large corporation like Lloyds Banking Group.  

Ollie is a fantastic reflection of what hard work and dedication can achieve. He thrived within his placement, and it paid off, getting acknowledged and praised by management which resulted in a full-time apprenticeship with guaranteed job security after completion. He has now been nominated for a Group Finance – Growth Mindset Award this year within Lloyds Banking Group, and if he is successfully shortlisted, he will be invited to attend the awards night in London.  

A big thank you to Ollie for sharing his experiences and helping our current students with their T Level journey.  

If you are interested in applying to one of our Business courses, click here. 

Progress to the next level in Business! At University Centre Weston (UCW) our students give us impressive feedback, with our latest National Student Survey results putting us above average in all nine areas! Find out more about our exceptional teaching, wellbeing services and learning resources by visiting our website. Click here! 

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.