<p>On Tuesday, 2nd April, Weston College took over the<strong> Job Centre </strong>in Weston-super-Mare, for a day dedicated to supporting adults in their journey towards <strong>new training</strong> and <strong>employment opportunities.</strong></p><p>The event was designed to showcase the extensive range of courses and support available to job seekers, helping them gain new skills and qualifications to improve their career prospects.</p><p>The event was well attended, with <strong>over 150 job seekers,</strong> as well as visitors including<strong> Jane Murch, Chief of Staff</strong> for Weston-super-Mare’s M<strong>P Dan Aldridge, Mayor John Crockford-Hawley, </strong>and Weston College’s <strong>Principal and Chief Executive, Pat Jones.</strong></p><p>Their presence highlighted the importance of <strong>collaborative efforts</strong> between <strong>educational institutions, local government,</strong> and <strong>employment services </strong>in <strong>tackling skills gaps</strong> and <strong>unemployment.</strong></p><p>The College’s team set up engaging stations filled with information about <strong>courses, training opportunities, </strong>and <strong>career support.</strong></p><p>Attendees had the chance to speak directly with<strong> advisors,</strong> <strong>discuss</strong> their <strong>aspirations,</strong> and even <strong>register</strong> their interest in courses tailored to their needs. There was even the opportunity to get their hair cut, by the <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/hair-… and Barbering</a> team from Weston College.</p><p>Mike Hudson, Director of Student Recruitment and Customer Operations at Weston College, said: <em><strong>“It was great to host our third Weston College Takeover Day at Weston Job Centre, and to see so many people wanting to engage with education.</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>“This event reflects our ongoing commitment to empowering individuals through education. We are proud to support adult learners in accessing the training they need to take their next career step.</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>“A big thank you to the Department for Work and Pensions and the incredible staff at Weston Job Centre and Weston College who went above and beyond to make this event so impactful, our continued partnership is supporting with creating brighter futures for all.”</strong></em></p>

<p>Weston College have recently held an inter college competition for the South West Skills Challenge for Hair and Beauty – a competition which has been set up by colleges in the South West to support learners in their preparations for WorldSkills competitions.</p><p>At our Knightstone campus, we hosted Bath College, City of Bristol College, Yeovil College, New College Swindon, Gloucester College, and Bridgwater and Taunton College. The day consisted of various hair, foundation hair, beauty therapist and beauty practitioner competitions all judged by industry professionals, VTCT, AHT and WorldSkills judges.</p><p>The students that came in the top 3 of each competition were awarded prizes that were kindly donated by Dennis Williams, Ellisons, Capital, VTCT Skills, Wella.</p><p>Our Weston College learners came on top for the Foundation Hair and Beauty Practitioner awards, as well as coming second for the Beauty Therapist award! A big congratulations to the 30 talented competitors across all 7 colleges who pushed themselves outside their comfort zones, showcasing their amazing skills and creativity. The level of talent was truly inspiring!</p><p>We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Ellisons Hair and Beauty , VTCT Skills , Dennis Williams, and Wella UK for providing fantastic prizes, as well as a special shout-out to our fantastic panel of judges: David Bassett, Mark Rayment, Chloe Williams and Hayley Huxtable who helped make the competition run smoothly and provided valuable feedback for the competitors.</p><p>Below are the results of each of the competitions:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong><u>Foundation Hair:&nbsp;</u></strong></p><p>🥇Weston College&nbsp;</p><p>🥈Bridgwater &amp; Taunton College&nbsp;</p><p>🥉Bridgwater &amp; Taunton College</p><p><strong><u>Hair:&nbsp;</u></strong></p><p>🥇Gloucestershire College&nbsp;</p><p>🥈Gloucestershire College&nbsp;</p><p>🥉New College Swindon</p><p><strong><u>Beauty Practitioner:&nbsp;</u></strong></p><p>🥇Weston College&nbsp;</p><p>🥈New College Swindon</p><p><strong><u>Beauty Therapist:&nbsp;</u></strong></p><p>🥇Yeovil College&nbsp;</p><p>🥈Weston College&nbsp;</p><p>🥉Yeovil College</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Jenna Ratcliffe, Head of Service Sectors at Weston College, said, <em><strong>“Weston College are super proud to have hosted the South West Skills – Hair and Beauty Competition, and we are delighted with the outcomes of our Weston College learners! They have all put considerable amounts of dedication into their work, which was evident during the competition.</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>“Hosting events like these gives learners across colleges the opportunity to gain real industry experience which will help them immensely with their transition from college into employment, and it is important that we continue to give these opportunities to our learners throughout their time at college.”</strong></em></p><p>If you would like to find out more about our Beauty courses, <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/beaut… here.</a></p><p>If you would like to find out more about our Hairdressing courses, <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/hair-… here.</a></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/const…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/const…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Construction</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> students have been making a real difference in their community by crafting and donating handmade benches to local care homes in Weston-super-Mare.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">This initiative took place over the course of three days, with students from various construction disciplines working extremely hard to create these high-quality benches. They even added a Weston College plaque to each bench which read, "Weston College Benches &amp; Biscuits Initiative: Building a Community, One Seat at a Time".</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Each group of students hand-delivered their bench along with a box of biscuits, spending an hour with the residents over a warm cup of tea. This thoughtful visit provided a fantastic opportunity for intergenerational bonding, as students and residents shared stories, laughter, and meaningful conversations.&nbsp;</span></p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;5 plastering students sat on the bench they made smiling, with 1 student holding a box of shortbread biscuits for the residents&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5346d179-482d-415e-864c-397c2b1aa133" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;max_500x500&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_loading&quot;:{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;lazy&quot;}}">&nbsp;</drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The benches were delivered to <strong>Dewdown House</strong>, <strong>The Manor in Uphill</strong>, <strong>St George’s Care Home</strong>, <strong>Beach Lawns Nursing Home</strong>, and <strong>Acer House</strong>. They were placed in outdoor spaces, where residents can enjoy them all year round, particularly during the warmer months.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The care home residents were delighted with their new outdoor seating, expressing heartfelt gratitude for the students’ hard work and craftsmanship. Many residents were extremely impressed by the quality of the benches and appreciated the chance to interact with young people, fostering a strong sense of community spirit.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The experience was equally rewarding for the students, who enjoyed hearing stories from the past and learning about life in different generations. Conversations ranged from family histories to career aspirations, leaving a lasting impact on both students and residents alike.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">In addition to their generous donations to care homes, the students also crafted three extra benches which were auctioned off in a charity silent auction. The proceeds from the auction went towards supporting <strong>Weston Hospicecare</strong> and <strong>The Grand Appeal</strong> as part of <strong>RAG Week </strong>fundraising efforts.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The highest three bidders received a beautifully handcrafted bench, with all funds directly benefiting these important local charities.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">This initiative is a testament to the skill, dedication, and generosity of Weston College’s construction students.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Their work has not only provided practical benefits but also brought joy and companionship to the elderly residents of their community.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/const…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/const…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">You can find out more about out our construction courses, by clicking here.</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p>