Weston College has been named as the Bristol and Bath Apprenticeship Provider of the Year for the second year in a row.

The award ceremony, held at Ashton Gate Stadium, celebrated learners from across the region, as well as recognising the hard work of employers and training providers.

Weston College learner Josh King, an apprentice at GKN Aerospace, was also recognised on the evening – winning Outstanding Apprentice of the Year.

Digital technology is advancing rapidly – at a rate that threatens to leave behind millions of people in the UK.

According to a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, around 12% of the population will lack basic digital literacy within a decade.

And this doesn’t only apply to the ‘older’ generation. Research also suggests that even the most digitally confident young people are being taken by surprise at the evolving skill-set required in an increasingly digital world.

With Brexit around the corner, many organisations are looking for new ways of bringing talent into their business. One approach that is often overlooked, is employing an ex-offender.

By giving an ex-offender the opportunity to get back into work, you’ll have access to this pool of work-ready talent.

Our work providing education in 19 prisons has revealed the untapped potential that’s available. There have been numerous success stories, including ‘Billy’.

Over the last year, Weston College students have been given the opportunity to work with some great businesses on live project briefs.

These ‘real-life’ assignments have included creating videos and working on websites.

Students have worked particularly closely with Visit Somerset, who produce a website promoting Somerset as a tourism destination. Here, John Turner, CEO of Visit Somerset, explains more about the students’ work and the partnership with the College.

Weston College’s drive to create 600 work-related learning opportunities in six months has smashed through the halfway point well ahead of schedule.

The ‘600 in 6’ campaign has persuaded businesses from a range of industries to pledge more than 300 opportunities in just eight weeks. These include apprenticeships, traineeships, work placements and project briefs.