<p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Within our </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; target="_blank">Sixth Form</a><span style="font-size:inherit;">, our learners can choose a career-enhancing pathway alongside their core </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; target="_blank">A Level</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> subjects which will not only bolster their CV’s and UCAS applications, but will also provide them with more transferrable skills and preparation for the future. These can range from Business Enterprise and Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), to Bio-Medical and many more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Some also choose the Social Action pathway where they get the chance to organise community events to raise money and awareness for charities of their choosing. Two of our learners, Aleks and Aleks, recently organised a 7-mile charity walk to raise money for the Rainbow Trust Charity.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Rainbow Trust is a charity for supporting families with seriously ill children to provide emotional and practical support. They provide each family with an expert Family Support Worker to help them with the possibility of loss and cope with daily struggles, giving them the chance to discuss fears and anxieties, diagnoses and treatments, and even organise memorable activities for not only the sick children but also their families.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Aleks and Aleks saw this charity as important as it focuses not only on the seriously ill children, but also their suffering families which people don’t often consider, saying “they make families more confident with the fact that their children are going through a terminal illness which is just as important”.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">In order to raise awareness and money towards this fantastic cause, they created posters with links and QR codes to their JustGiving page, putting them all over the Sixth Form and social media to gain as much traction as possible. So far, Aleks and Aleks have raised around £80 with a goal of £120.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The walk proved to be an achievable event to raise money and get people involved and consisted of both </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; target="_blank">Sixth Form</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> and </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/prote…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/prote…; target="_blank">Protective Services</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> learners. Aleks said, “we do loads of different campaigns and tasks to help our community and to give back, and we thought a walk would help us get as much recognition as possible”. Our </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/creat…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/creat…; target="_blank">Media and Communications</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> learners also interviewed them to provide more publicity of the event.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Thank you to Nicola Stent and Anne Draper, the Social Action Pathway lecturers, for assisting Aleks and Aleks in making this event possible and promoting it to other students around the college.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Well done to Aleks and Aleks for your fantastic efforts in organising this 7-mile walk for the Rainbow Trust, you should be proud.&nbsp;</span></p><script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><a href="https://www.justgiving.com/page/aleksandra-aleksandrajl1732023519814&qu…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.justgiving.com/page/aleksandra-aleksandrajl1732023519814&qu…; target="_blank">If you wish to check out Aleks and Aleks JustGiving page, click here.</a><span style="font-size:inherit;">&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/level…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; target="_blank">If you’re interested in applying to join our Sixth Form in September, click here.</a></p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width:605px;min-width:325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@westoncollege/video/7463068386054917409&quot; data-video-id="7463068386054917409"><section><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@westoncollege?refer=embed&quot; target="_blank" title="@westoncollege">@westoncollege</a></p><p>Our Social Action students, Aleks and Aleks, have been working hard to organise a 7 mile charity walk for the Rainbow Trust Charity 🌈🌈 This is an amazing event that they've independently organised, getting many other students across the college involved to raise money and awareness for this amazing charity ⭐ To find out more, visit our website!</p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-WestonCollege-7463068457718…; target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - WestonCollege">♬ original sound - WestonCollege</a></p></section></blockquote>

<p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Work experience is an integral part of our learners' educational journey as it gives them the chance to experience a real-world working environment with hands-on experience which will give them a better understanding of their future career path.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">One of our Sixth Form learners, Ryan, has exceeded expectations by landing a placement in Belize in Central America with his stepdad working with two organisations, Defence Infrastructure Organisation Belize (DIO), and the British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB). This placement is a fantastic opportunity that will give Ryan invaluable experience and transferrable skills that he can use in the future.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Ryan is currently in his second year of A Levels at our Sixth Form, studying Maths, Further Maths, Physics, and is even teaching himself AS Sociology at home. Ryan has also received a conditional offer from the University of Nottingham to study an integrated master's degree in Theoretical Astrophysics. He is an outstanding student that works extremely hard to not only succeed academically but also prepare for his future.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">For his work experience, Ryan will be working for two organisations; DIO which is responsible for managing overseas defence estates (barracks, bases, camps, etc), and for BATSUB which is a training establishment for short term jungle training of British troops. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">During this week, he will be working on the installation of underground electrical cables in trenches, feeder pillars and Distribution Substations, conducting building refurbishment on technical and domestic accommodation, and conducting statutory and reactive maintenance.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Ryan is confident that this placement will benefit him massively, saying “learning to experience a workplace environment and completing non-academic tasks will give me much needed experience for any future job. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">I will gain exclusive insight into military careers and manual labour (trade/skilled labour) but also cultural insight into life in Belize (should I wish to take a gap year there with family). I will learn key skills including communication, risk management (dynamic and planned), and teamwork. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">I consider myself extremely lucky to have these opportunities available to me. I’ve lived in many places around the country as a service child and have experienced a large variety of different school environments. I think this has allowed me to develop my adaptability which will benefit me in my role.”&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Due to his familiarity with Belize, Ryan confirmed that he is comfortable with completing his work experience there and is feeling excited to work in such a professional environment, being given responsibilities and important tasks that will provide him with invaluable, hands-on experience and transferrable skills that he can use in his future career.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Thank you to Ryan for sharing his story and we wish you all the best for your upcoming work experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; target="_blank">If you’re interested in applying to join our Sixth Form in September, click here.</a><span style="font-size:inherit;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Last week, our <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/beaut… 2 Beauty Therapy</u></a> students were treated to an inspiring and educational visit from Claire, a seasoned beauty professional representing <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.outbackorganics.co.uk/"><u>Outback Organics</u></a>. The session was a unique opportunity for students to gain firsthand knowledge from an expert whose career has spanned continents and specialities.&nbsp;</p><p>Claire’s extensive career journey captivated the students as she shared her experiences, which began in London, where she trained and worked before jetting on an exciting career aboard luxury cruise ships. Her expertise and passion took her around the globe, first to New Zealand and later to Australia, where she navigated the beauty industry as a product seller. Throughout her career, Claire has developed a wide range of skills, from nails and facials to body massages, and now specialises in waxing, eyebrow shaping, and permanent makeup.&nbsp;</p><p>Currently working with Outback Organics, Claire champions the company’s line of botanical skincare products. Outback Organics blend cutting-edge cosmetic ingredients with natural Australian extracts from the coastline, forests, and bushlands, making them a perfect fit for spas, salons, and beauty therapists, as well as individual users.&nbsp;</p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Claire from Outback Organics giving the students an underarm wax demonstration&quot;" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4722d426-1ce2-4824-a04a-3d4cdf7b14ff" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;max_750x750&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_loading&quot;:{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;lazy&quot;}}">&nbsp;</drupal-entity><p>Focusing on underarm and leg waxing, she walked the students through the process step-by-step, covering everything from skin preparation and waxing techniques to essential after-care practices. These practical demonstrations provided students with a hands-on look at professional waxing techniques, along with insider tips and tricks to help them excel in their future careers.&nbsp;</p><p>Jenna, Head of Service Sectors, reflected on the visit, stating, “Claire's visit today was particularly inspiring for the students. Plenty of them are interested in pursuing a career in waxing, so having an experienced beauty therapist visit provided them an insight into what their career could look like. The students were impressed by Claire's expertise in the field, this goes to show how important industry involvement in their studies is!”&nbsp;</p><p>The visit from Claire and Outback Organics highlighted the importance of bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world industry experience, leaving a lasting impression on the students.&nbsp;</p><p>This partnership forms part of the <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/ceh-hair-and-beauty"><u>Hair and Beauty Careers Excellence Hub.</u></a> Weston College has fourteen sector-specific Career Excellence Hubs, which evidence our dedication to supporting both employers and learners in achieving their future goals. By creating a seamless connection between industry and education, we enable learners to acquire not only the essential skills and knowledge but also the professional networks necessary to excel in their chosen fields.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>To find out about what courses we have to offer for Hair and Beauty, please <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/ceh-hair-and-beauty"><u>click here.</u></a>&nbsp;</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 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.</strong>&nbsp;</p>