<p>The <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/amtec"><strong>Advanced Manufacturing Technical Excellence College (AMTEC)</strong></a> is on target to open its doors as planned in Filton, Bristol, marking an exciting new chapter for technical education and the Weston College Group.</p><p>Following months of hard work, construction of the new specialist campus has been completed on schedule. With teaching staff now on site and final preparations underway, <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/amtec">AMTEC</a&gt; is ready to welcome its first learners.</p><p>A significant milestone in the project was reached this week as Senior Capital Works Project Manager Mark Eustace officially handed over the keys to the new facility to Vice Principal of <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/amtec">AMTEC</a&gt;, Andy Smith, marking the transition from construction and fit-out to teaching and learning preparations ahead of opening.</p><p>Located in the heart of Filton, one of the UK's leading aerospace and advanced manufacturing hubs, <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/amtec">AMTEC</a&gt; has been created to deliver high-quality technical training for the next generation of skilled engineers and manufacturing professionals.</p><p>The new Technical Excellence College will provide specialist training across aerospace and advanced manufacturing, working closely with major employers and SMEs across the region, including <a href="https://www.airbus.com/en">Airbus</a&gt;, <a href="https://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/en_GB/home.html">Rolls-Royce</a&gt;, <a href="https://www.gknaerospace.com/">GKN</a&gt; and <a href="https://www.babcockinternational.com/">Babcock</a>.</p><p>Teaching begins on Monday 28th September, when <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/amtec">AMTEC's</a&gt; first cohort of learners will start their studies, with around 200 apprentices expected on the first day and approximately 700 apprentices due to attend the new campus throughout its first week of operation.</p><p>The development represents a significant investment in the future of technical education and the region's engineering and manufacturing sectors, creating a dedicated environment where apprentices can develop the practical skills, technical expertise and industry experience needed by employers. As a Technical Excellence College, <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/amtec">AMTEC</a&gt; will play a key role in supporting economic growth, addressing skills shortages and helping to build the highly skilled workforce required for the future of UK manufacturing and engineering.</p><p>Andy Smith, Vice Principal of <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/amtec">AMTEC</a&gt;, said:</p><p><em>"AMTEC is on target to open as planned, and it is incredibly exciting to see the vision for this new college becoming a reality.</em></p><p><em>"The completion of the building work, the arrival of our teaching team and the preparations for our first learners are all major milestones. We have created a genuinely outstanding facility in the heart of one of the UK's most important aerospace and advanced manufacturing communities.</em></p><p><em>"Receiving the keys to the building marks the beginning of the next chapter as we focus on delivering an exceptional learning experience for our apprentices. Our ambition is for AMTEC to become a centre of excellence for technical education, working hand in hand with employers to give our learners the skills and experience they need to build successful careers and support the future of these vital industries."&nbsp;</em></p><p>Mark Eustace, Senior Capital Works Project Manager for <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/amtec">AMTEC</a&gt;, said:&nbsp;</p><p><em>"Handing over the keys to Andy and the Curriculum team is a proud moment and marks the culmination of a tremendous effort from everyone involved in delivering this project.&nbsp;</em></p><p><em>"From initial planning through to completion, the focus has been on creating a technical training facility that meets the needs of both learners and industry. It has been fantastic to see the building take shape, and I am delighted to officially pass the campus over to the team who will bring it to life through teaching, learning and employer engagement."&nbsp;</em></p><p>With its doors nearly ready to open, <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/amtec">AMTEC</a&gt; is preparing for an exciting new chapter, helping to develop the skilled workforce that will drive the future of aerospace and advanced manufacturing.</p>

<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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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 &amp; 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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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 []">Weston College is proud to announce the launch of its <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/hospi…; Foundation Apprenticeship</strong>, starting in October 2026, designed to support both local businesses and young people to thrive in the sector.&nbsp;</p><p>The programme offers a unique opportunity for employers to build their future workforce early, while supporting young people in gaining meaningful experiences and confidence in a real working environment.&nbsp;</p><p>Foundation Apprenticeships are employed roles with structured support, combining practical, on-the-job experience with one day per week of college-based learning.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Benefits to Hospitality Businesses</strong>&nbsp;</p><p>With the busy autumn and Christmas trading period approaching, Weston College is calling on hospitality businesses to take advantage of this time to train and develop new talent during peak operational periods, as well as identify&nbsp;high-potential individuals ahead of future recruitment cycles&nbsp;and build a sustainable pipeline of skilled staff ready for Summer 2027.</p><p>Employers will&nbsp;benefit&nbsp;from supporting apprentices to develop essential skills including:&nbsp;</p><ul><li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" style="margin-left:32px;" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted" data-list-item-id="e8beea55d40371f3d99417019e729088a">Customer service and communication&nbsp;</li><li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" style="margin-left:32px;" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted" data-list-item-id="e0534fbde778c946a2a953e6a1cc76602">Food preparation and service&nbsp;</li><li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" style="margin-left:32px;" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted" data-list-item-id="e4e414303a4bc5f3a9ccb3bb15d882612">Teamwork and workplace behaviours&nbsp;</li><li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" style="margin-left:32px;" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted" data-list-item-id="e8131741a90711cc3138a87bae0ed6714">Stock management and food safety&nbsp;</li><li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" style="margin-left:32px;" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted" data-list-item-id="e3f00742ce9d115ee65d9546419f55221">Health and safety awareness&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul><p><strong>Supporting Young People into the Industry</strong>&nbsp;</p><p>The Foundation Apprenticeship is specifically designed for young people who&nbsp;benefit&nbsp;from:&nbsp;</p><ul><li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" style="margin-left:32px;" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted" data-list-item-id="e02f73240518f88c5430e00befe383f91">A broader introduction to the workplace&nbsp;</li><li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" style="margin-left:32px;" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted" data-list-item-id="e5a0768f1c0adbfbfd27c09642dfd024a">Additional&nbsp;support and structured development&nbsp;</li><li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" style="margin-left:32px;" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted" data-list-item-id="e3d2c64db4af2f82223f22d9c79950f5f">Clear progression routes into employment or further apprenticeships&nbsp;</li><li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" style="margin-left:32px;" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted" data-list-item-id="e9b968386a3b5cb28601f9d3f515c969c">This approach helps learners build confidence, capability, and career direction, while enabling employers to shape talent from an early stage.&nbsp;</li></ul><p><strong>Funding and Progression Opportunities</strong>&nbsp;</p><p>Employers may be eligible for up to £2,000 per apprentice to support participation.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>At the end of the programme, apprentices can progress into&nbsp;a&nbsp;Level 2 or Level 3 apprenticeship&nbsp;and sustained employment within the business.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Get Involved</strong>&nbsp;</p><p>Weston College is now seeking hospitality employers across the region who are keen to:&nbsp;</p><ul><li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" style="margin-left:32px;" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted" data-list-item-id="e64f2825f0b9c220748a127225704f2c1">Invest in future talent&nbsp;</li><li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" style="margin-left:32px;" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted" data-list-item-id="eee514a6caf7c8e878a78c60b2c35c603">Support young people into the industry&nbsp;</li><li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" style="margin-left:32px;" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted" data-list-item-id="e2e5490170f752837c9ace9bc33289e3b">Strengthen their workforce ahead of Summer 2027&nbsp;</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Now is the ideal time to recruit, train, and shape your future team.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>For more information or to get involved, please contact:</strong> <strong>01934 411594&nbsp;or email&nbsp;</strong><a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="mailto:apprenticeships@weston.ac.uk"><strong>apprenticeships@weston.ac…;