#EDUCATE #COLLABORATE
Weston College created the Wednesday Working Lunch series with a specific objective to bring business leaders together, at a time of significant disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, to offer opportunities to educate and collaborate.
The series of online weekly business events delivered every Wednesday during the pandemic lockdown period, attracted over 700 attendees from across the UK and also included several international visitors from Europe and the USA, providing another example of Weston College working with partners to bring together the business community, inspire a different way of thinking, and creating an online business community during Covid-19. Internal and external speakers covered several business topics, and Weston College staff interviewed employers and learners regarding skills-themed topics.
This is a resource for you. Each recorded session is available for you to listen back and experience the theme of the Wednesday Working Lunch series, to educate and collaborate.
Thank you to our guest speakers including employer partners, staff, students, and our event partners Weston Chamber of Commerce and the North Somerset Enterprise Agency for supporting this initiative.
David Crew
Head of Business Growth & Employer Partnership
Weston College
Delivered in partnership with:
Supporting the mental health of your workforce
COVID-19 has presented many challenges for employers, including how we manage the mental health of our workforce in a challenging time. Join our Wednesday Working Lunch to develop an awareness and understand mental health challenges, and share solutions with our employer partners, including support available with Weston College.
Looking ahead to plan your future workforce
Hosted by Lauren Squibb, the third session helped employers to understand how they can support their workforce through learner placements, traineeships, apprenticeships, distance learning courses, student projects and virtual guest lecturing. It also allowed insight to maximising the relationship between employers and Weston College. This session was then followed by our guests speakers, Becca Thurston of Wessex Water and David Ford, Scott Marshall and Chris Buckman of Eloquent Technologies.
Enabling a Mindset to Growth – Growth or Survival, how do you show up?
Rich Cook is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist at Mindset Practice and will be asking how you and your team show up in the new normal? We'll understand how our mindset practice of emotional intelligence is key to our ability to adapt to change, be more innovative, sustain our resilience and collaborate more effectively.
Digital and Distance Learning - opportunities and benefits
Hosted by Jane Vivian this session is focused on the way in which we choose to learn and update our skills is evolving. Millions have chosen to learn online during Covid-19. What are the options and what makes a good online learning experience?
What will the future workforce look like? (Recruitment and managing remote teams).
Delivered by Tracey Clay
The human race is resistant to change but when forced to change by external forces, it in fact, adapts really quickly and effectively. The Global Pandemic has driven urgent, immediate and unthinkable pre Covid-19 ways of working and living. What does the post Covid-19 world of work look like? What skills and expertise will be most in demand? The changes this crisis has brought about has profoundly and permanently changed the way in which we approach work & life. Will this bring forth a Post COVID Utopian or Dystopian world of work? As we look back on the Pandemic and to the future, what will be the impact on the way we manage our approach to our people? How agile have you been and what lessons have been learned?
How industry placements can support your business
Weston College has hundreds of learners supporting businesses through valuable industry placements each year. From creating websites to social media marketing plans, to supporting an employer with a specific project and in return, gaining valuable work experience. Join our Wednesday Working Lunch to understand the range of support available with Weston College and hear from an employer that has seen the benefits of industry placements.
Defining your brand for the "new normal"
Delivered by Phillipa Haynes
Is your brand fit for purpose in the new normal? Join our Wednesday Working Lunch and find out how you can review, refresh and re-launch your brand vision and values to better reflect the new business landscape, further inspire and resonate with your customers and deliver a culture which responds to the changes in the world and employee mindset.
Apprenticeships – maximising opportunities for your business
Apprenticeships continue to be a popular option for employers to build a future workforce. Join us for this Wednesday Working Lunch to understand the options and support available, and hear from those businesses who have embraced and seen the benefits of apprenticeships.
Building a future workforce
As employers, many of us are beginning to understand what our workforce must look like in the future. Join us for this Wednesday Working Lunch to understand the free recruitment support available with Weston College, and how we’re supporting employers to access funding to train their existing staff.
