Courses for 16 to 18-year-olds (old)
COURSES FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS
With hundreds of unique, exciting and inspiring programmes to choose from, everything you need to create your brighter future is waiting for you at Weston College.
From the minute you walk through the door, the experience and the environment that we create is all about maximising your potential. It’s about preparing and motivating you for a fresh and focused career pathway.
Every Weston College student becomes part of one of our exciting new Career Excellence Hubs. This means you will take part in a study programme with lots of career boosting benefits, all with the aim of help you to go further, giving you the opportunity to become career ready with the skills, knowledge and expertise you need to be successful in your next step and reach your ultimate goal - whatever that may be!
Whether you are looking for the next step after school or the next step in your career, we're bound to have a programme for you. Take a look below at the different types of qualifications available for school leavers and young people between 16 and 18 years old.
Did you know we also run English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)?
Start your brighter future by selecting a subject you're interested in below, and don't forget - you can apply online and it only takes 5 minutes!
Discover our range of courses for school leavers aged 16-18 using the search options below...
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Find Your Future Path
Qualifications Explained
At Weston College we know that everyone learns differently. That’s why we deliver a variety of different qualification types - to give you the chance to learn in the way that suits you the most.
A Levels
A Levels develop the knowledge, skills and study habits to excel at university, as well as the attributes recognised by employers. Your academic studies will be complemented with enrichment opportunities such as trips, mentoring and work experience, providing the perfect springboard for your future career. A Levels are assessed through exams at the end of two years of study. Most learners study three subjects - some choose four.
Apprenticeships
With an apprenticeship you’ll go straight into the workplace and be shown clear routes to progress straight into employment within a specific occupation. You can achieve nationally recognised qualifications, earn a wage, and gain skills that will see you get ahead. On average you will spend 20% of your learning time in the college and 80% within the workplace..
Professional and Technical Qualifications
Professional and technical qualifications are designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to gain employment within specific industries or occupations. They provide a balance between theory and practical skills development. They are suited to those who want to get hands-on experience within a particular vocational area. These programmes include work placements. Assessment is more varied and will include exams, coursework and practical work.
Traineeships
Traineeships are a great way for 16 to 24-year-olds who haven’t yet gained the skills and experiences necessary to apply for jobs and apprenticeships. They are taught mostly in the workplace and include a mixture of personal and social development, and employability skills. The aim of a traineeship is to train you within a company so that you are more likely to be offered an apprenticeship or a job.
T Levels give you the chance to learn what a real career is like while you continue your studies. T Levels have been designed with leading businesses and employers to give you the knowledge and skills you need, including a minimum of 45 days on an industry placement – this means you will spend 80% of your learning time in College and 20% within the workplace.
CHOOSING WHAT TO STUDY
We are all about CAREERS NOT COURSES and pride ourselves on being able to offer a huge range of programmes to ensure you develop the skills and knowledge employers and universities are looking for. As the only education provider in North Somerset that enables you to work your way up from an entrylevel programme to a degree, we’re here to help you choose the right programme for you.
We can help you choose your study programme or apprenticeship by accessing the following support:
School Liaison Team
Working with local schools we help you find out about college life and programmes of study, and we provide you with advice and guidance about what programmes will best suit you. We will either visit your school, attend careers fairs and parents’ evenings or coordinate campus and virtual events such as our taster days, holiday workshops and tours.
Events
We put on a number of events over the year, which will be a mixture of face-to-face and virtual events. These provide you and your family with the opportunity to explore our facilities, speak to our lecturers, find out about the support on offer and choose the right programme for you. Our events also give you the opportunity to engage with a number of employers to find out about careers in their industry and why they value the calibre of candidates that come from Weston College.
CAREERS ADVICE
- On our website you can access a wealth of career guidance, such as:
- All the programmes you can study.
- What our alumni have gone on to achieve.
- Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) that will help explain what relevant careers and jobs are available, including salaries.
- NEW – Subject careers roadmaps, so you can map your journey with us and ensure it will get you into your chosen career. Also, check out Career Coach - this provides you with the opportunity to:
- Take an assessment that matches you with careers.
- Explore broad career pathways that match your strengths and interests.
- Compare careers within a pathway - including salaries, required education and more.
- Explore our programmes that will set you on the path to your desired career.
- Take a career assessment - and receive an in-depth report that can help you identify the best programme and career path for you!
We’re here and happy to help – if you would like more advice and guidance, contact our school liaison team by emailing schoolteam@weston.ac.uk. - they you can arrange a one-to-one careers appointment with our specialist staff.
LATEST NEWS
<p>I’m Salka, a Marketing Executive at <a href="https://mindful-education.co.uk/">Mindful Education</a> and alumni of Weston College, and below is my career journey so far!</p><p> </p><p><strong>My Career Journey so Far</strong></p><p>Since completing my <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/employers/taking-apprentice/marketing-assistan… 3 Marketing apprenticeship</a> through Weston College and <a href="https://mindful-education.co.uk/">Mindful Education</a>, my career journey has gone from strength to strength. Upon completing my studies and achieving a distinction, I was offered a permanent role at <a href="https://mindful-education.co.uk/">Mindful Education</a>, where I have now been working for three and a half years.</p><p>Since then, I have continued to develop both personally and professionally. The range of responsibilities I deal with has increased exponentially, meaning my skill set is more varied and allows me to take on any task with confidence. I have also since completed a <strong>Level 4 Marketing Executive apprenticeship,</strong> which enabled me to progress from <strong>Marketing Assistant</strong> to <strong>Marketing Executive.</strong></p><p> </p><p><strong>What I Gained from Being an Apprentice</strong></p><p>I think the confidence I have gained through my apprenticeships has been one of the biggest benefits. I have become more comfortable stepping outside of my comfort zone, taking on new challenges and trusting my own ideas and abilities.</p><p>My apprenticeship also gave me valuable practical experience of working in a professional marketing environment. I developed skills in communication, organisation, teamwork and time management, while learning how to manage real responsibilities and deadlines.</p><p>These experiences have had a big impact on my career because they have given me a strong foundation to continue developing and progressing within marketing.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Roles and Responsibilities of my Apprenticeships</strong></p><p>The Level 4 apprenticeship was definitely a step up and helped to embed the knowledge that I had gained in my Level 3 apprenticeship. It also added another layer of depth and complexity to some of the theories and frameworks that I studied, which gave me a healthy challenge.</p><p>Similarly to Level 3, I had a project for my End-Point Assessment (EPA), so I had another valuable opportunity to plan and deliver a large project on my own.</p><p>I also had more opportunities to interact with my fellow cohorts and have teamworking experiences with other apprentices. This allowed me to build my team skills and understand a lot of the content more easily, as I had a sounding board to bounce ideas off and could share my ideas and work through tough topics together as a team.</p><p>My role at Mindful Education has developed as the scope and variety of tasks I handle has increased, and I feel that I am now responsible for much more within the team.</p><p>Some of my responsibilities include writing and posting social media posts, blogs and creating email campaigns to go out to our key audiences. I’ve also become involved in more internal and external events, helping with the planning and delivery of them by liaising with event organisers, couriers and other members of the team.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Challenges Along the Way</strong></p><p>One of the main challenges during my Level 4 apprenticeship was balancing work and studies and meeting the requirements of both commitments. Often, I would find myself having to meet work deadlines, apprenticeship deadlines and stay on top of all my responsibilities.</p><p>To overcome this, I would use my study days to list my main responsibilities and get through as much as I could. For any tasks left over, I would section out my time after work, spending at least an hour after work throughout the week to complete them and ensure I met my deadlines.</p><p>I also found myself studying the material and seeing that it was a lot to take in, so I would make myself summary documents that sectioned off each of the key topics into bullet points. This allowed me to memorise and absorb information more effectively.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Biggest Achievements</strong></p><p>The achievements I am most proud of are getting distinctions for each of my apprenticeships. Each apprenticeship I completed was over a year in duration, so a lot of time, hard work and effort had been poured into my studies, not to mention preparing for the EPA and doing it twice.</p><p>I am also very proud of making it to the <a href="https://multiculturalapprenticeshipawards.co.uk/shortlist-2024/">Multic… Apprenticeship Awards</a> in 2024 and being <strong>Highly Commended</strong> under the <strong>Creative, Media & Marketing</strong> category. This marked a significant moment in my career and was recognition of all my hard work over the last year and a half.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Advice to Future Apprentices</strong></p><p>One piece of advice I would give to aspiring apprentices is to not be shy about asking questions. Don’t feel out of place just because you don’t know everything. At the end of the day, it’s a learning experience and the organisation that has hired you is well aware of the requirements and responsibilities of recruiting an apprentice.</p><p>You’re not supposed to know everything; the whole point of an apprenticeship is to learn on the job! So don’t be scared about doing an apprenticeship just because it’s something out of your comfort zone. It may seem daunting, but it is incredibly rewarding.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Future Steps</strong></p><p>Now that I’ve completed both apprenticeships, I want to continue working in my role as a Marketing Executive and would like to do so for the future. I want to develop myself in this new role and take more leadership in various projects.</p><p>In the future, I can see myself taking on a senior marketing role and eventually also managing and guiding an apprentice. I can also see myself doing a Level 6 apprenticeship and progressing myself further in my career.</p>
<p data-pm-slice="0 0 []">Last week, Weston College hosted a <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/beaut… Therapy</u></a> <strong>WorldSkills International Pressure Test</strong> ahead of the upcoming <strong>WorldSkills Shanghai</strong> competition, welcoming competitors from Team UK, Northern Ireland, and Spain. The event provided a valuable opportunity for competitors to test themselves in a high-pressure but supported environment while offering staff and peers a unique insight into the different techniques, approaches and professional standards demonstrated across countries.</p><p>Over four days, competitors completed a series of <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/beaut… Therapy</u></a> practical assessments designed to replicate the intensity of the WorldSkills competitions. These included full body masks, hot stone massages, facials, leg and underarm waxing, lash lift and tint, brow lamination and tint, manicure and pedicure, and creative makeovers. Each task challenged participants to demonstrate exceptional technical ability, precision, organisation, adaptability and time management under strict competition conditions.</p><drupal-entity alt=""Competitor from Spain waxing clients leg"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b8e5352b-5a8c-4710-b970-124dc9cc6aae" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity><p>Experiences like these help raise the aspirations of our current learners, provide valuable insight into the opportunities available through skills competitions, and encourage them to pursue challenges like this which will enhance their abilities. They also strengthen links with industry and international partners, creating networking opportunities and reinforcing Weston College's reputation as a high-achieving Careers Excellence Hub.</p><p>Hosting competitions like these provide Weston College with a fantastic opportunity to welcome international competitors and raise the profile of our learners and the college. Not only this, students, staff, and competitors are able to observe industry-leading professionals in action, gaining first-hand exposure to the standards, techniques and professionalism expected at the highest level of the beauty industry. </p><p>The treatments carried out during the Pressure Test were offered to Weston College staff, allowing competitors to perform on real clients in a realistic competition setting. Staff not only supported the competitors throughout the event but also experienced the exceptional standard of treatments being delivered, helping to create a realistic environment that closely reflected the requirements of an international competition.</p><p>Jenna Ratcliffe, Head of Service Industries at Weston College, said, “Being able to host Pressure Tests like this and welcome international competitors is a fantastic opportunity for Weston College and provides excellent networking opportunities for our students. It highlights our high-quality facilities whilst demonstrating the standards of talent and support that our current learners receive when studying at Weston College. We encourage as many enrichment opportunities and experiences as possible to ensure our students have a wide skillset and are prepared for the expectations and careers available to them within the <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/beaut… Therapy</u></a> industry.”</p><p>Good luck to all the competitors competing in WorldSkills Shanghai next month!</p><p>This visit forms part of the <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/beaut… Therapy</u></a> 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. </p><p><strong>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 </strong><a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/jobs?utm_source=main-menu&utm_medium=main-…;. 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.</strong></p>
<p data-pm-slice="0 0 []">Last week, Weston College welcomed members of <strong>WorldSkills </strong><a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt… and Social Care</u></strong></a><strong> Team UK</strong> for training preparation ahead of the WorldSkills Shanghai competition, taking place in September 2026. The training provided competitors with a valuable opportunity to practice and refine their skills in preparation for the global competition.</p><p>The <strong>WorldSkills</strong> Competition is an international event that brings together talented students and young professionals from across the world to compete in a range of vocational and technical skills. Competitors are challenged to demonstrate their knowledge, technical ability and professionalism to the highest possible standard.</p><p>As part of the WorldSkills <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt… and Social Care</u></a> competition, contestants complete simulated real-world scenarios involving standardised patients, testing their abilities across six key competencies: communication, assessment, planning, implementation, education and improvement.</p><p>Using Weston College’s <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt… and Social Care</u></a> simulation room, Team UK were able to replicate realistic care scenarios using high-quality equipment and simulation dummies as patients. This provided competitors with an authentic environment in which to practice their skills, while also showcasing Weston College’s outstanding facilities to external organisations and industry professionals.</p><p>Hosting a professional team such as <strong>WorldSkills Team UK</strong> provides Weston College with a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of the College and demonstrate the quality of its facilities and learning environments. It also gives our students and staff the chance to observe industry-leading professionals in action, providing first-hand insight into the standards, techniques and professionalism expected within the <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt… and Social Care</u></a> sector.</p><p>Opportunities such as this strengthen Weston College’s links with industry and showcase how our facilities can support high-level professional training, while inspiring our learners to see the opportunities available to them within their chosen careers.</p><p>Good luck to all the competitors competing in WorldSkills Shanghai next month!</p><p>This visit forms part of the <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt… and Social Care</u></a> 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. </p><p>Progress to the next level in <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.ucw.ac.uk/courses-by-subject/healthcare/"><u>Healthcare</u>…;! At <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.ucw.ac.uk/"><u>University Centre Weston (UCW)</u></a> 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. <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.ucw.ac.uk/"><u>Click here!</u></a></p><p><strong>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 </strong><a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/jobs?utm_source=main-menu&utm_medium=main-…;. 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.</strong></p>
