<p>We are delighted to announce that <strong>Lauren Whiteman, Apprenticeship &amp; Skills Strategic Account Manager</strong>, has been shortlisted for <a href="https://somerset30.co.uk/">Somerset’s 30 Under 30!</a></p><p>The initiative celebrates Somerset’s most promising young professionals, recognising the next generation of decision-makers and influencers who are already making a positive impact in their industries and communities.</p><p>Since joining Weston College as an Account Manager in June 2025, Lauren has rapidly established herself as an exceptional emerging leader, progressing to <strong>Strategic Account Manager</strong> in recognition of her outstanding performance and leadership potential. In just over a year, she has supported more than <strong>350 apprentices</strong>, engaged with over <strong>200 employers</strong> and proactively connected more than <strong>50 small businesses with </strong><a href="https://www.citb.co.uk/"><strong>CITB</strong></a><strong&gt; apprenticeship grant funding</strong> they were previously unaware of.</p><p>These achievements demonstrate not only the scale of her impact, but her ability to identify opportunities, build partnerships and turn challenges into tangible outcomes for learners, employers and communities across Somerset. What sets Lauren apart is that she consistently goes beyond the expectations of her role to create opportunities that strengthen Somerset’s workforce and change individual lives.</p><p>A defining strength of Lauren’s leadership is her ability to connect education, industry and community. Through the major <strong>Epic Technology Campus</strong> development at Long Ashton, she worked closely with Tier 1 contractors and subcontractors, including main contractor <a href="https://gilbert-ash.com/">Gilbert Ash</a>, to support Section 106 commitments through apprenticeships, local employment, work experience and wider social value activity.</p><p>She also coordinated construction site visits for school pupils, giving young people first-hand exposure to the industry and helping employers engage with their future workforce. Lauren understands that successful employer engagement is not simply about filling vacancies; it is about building sustainable relationships that create long-term value for learners, businesses and the local community.</p><p>One of the clearest examples of Lauren’s leadership, innovation and ability to turn barriers into opportunities came when six full-time bricklaying learners were struggling to secure apprenticeships, despite actively applying for vacancies. Lauren recognised that the problem was not a lack of ability, but that traditional CV-based recruitment was failing to demonstrate the learners’ practical skills and potential.</p><p>Rather than accepting this as a barrier, Lauren took the initiative to develop a different approach. Working collaboratively with the faculty team, she created a practical Bricklaying Assessment Centre, giving employers the opportunity to see the learners build a live wall and assess their practical competence, attitude and potential first-hand.</p><p>The result was exceptional; all six learners secured paid bricklaying apprenticeships, with their apprenticeships starting in September. Lauren had identified a problem, challenged the conventional recruitment process, brought colleagues and employers together and created a solution that delivered a <strong>100% success rate</strong>. This is what distinguishes Lauren as a future leader. She does not simply identify barriers; she takes ownership of finding solutions. The impact is also highly personal; six young people who had been struggling to access their chosen career have now secured skilled employment pathways. At the same time, employers gained access to talent they may otherwise have overlooked. It is a powerful example of Lauren creating a solution that benefits individuals, businesses and the wider Somerset workforce.</p><p>Lauren has similarly demonstrated initiative through a Construction T Level Speed Interview Day, creating an event with direct and structured connections between employers and learners. Every learner secured an industry placement, with several progressing directly towards apprenticeship opportunities. By bringing employers into the college environment and making recruitment more accessible, Lauren created value for both sides, learners gained opportunities and confidence, while employers gained access to emerging talent.</p><p>Lauren is also passionate about making the construction industry more inclusive. Recognising the need for greater female representation, she organised and led a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/news/women-construction-employer-roundtable">W… in Construction Round Table</a>, bringing together successful women from across the industry to share their experiences and advice. Crucially, she ensured current female construction learners had a voice, enabling them to share their own journeys and hear directly from role models. Her work challenges perceptions about who belongs in construction and encourages more young women to see the sector as a place where they can build successful careers.&nbsp;</p><p>Her commitment to social impact is equally strong. Lauren coordinated a <strong>Groundworker Bootcamp</strong> for local NEET adults aged 19 and over, working with industry partners to provide participants with NPORS qualifications and CSCS cards that significantly improved their employability. Ten participants progressed into employment opportunities in March 2026. This initiative demonstrates Lauren’s understanding that workforce development can also be a route to greater social mobility, helping people who face barriers to employment access sustainable careers.</p><p>Lauren’s contribution to Somerset’s communities extends beyond her core responsibilities. She coordinated a Weston College volunteering day with <a href="https://www.octavius.co.uk/">Octavius</a&gt; and <a href="https://www.alliancehomes.org.uk/">Alliance Homes</a> as part of the “Leaving a Legacy” initiative, improving local allotments and community green spaces while strengthening relationships between employers, the college and community organisations. She has also supported schools through careers activity and construction site visits, helping young people understand the breadth of opportunities available within the sector.</p><p>Perhaps most importantly, Lauren makes a personal difference to the people she works with. One particularly powerful example involved a young person in care who felt uncertain and disengaged about their future. Working with <a href="https://www.octavius.co.uk/">Octavius</a&gt;, Lauren arranged construction site visits and opportunities to meet industry professionals. She helped the young person recognise that construction offers opportunities beyond traditional trades, including professional careers such as architecture. Through these experiences, the individual developed renewed motivation and began aspiring towards a career in architecture. This captures what makes Lauren different: she does not simply create opportunities; she helps people recognise their own potential.</p><p>What sets Lauren apart is the combination of strategic thinking, commercial awareness, creativity and genuine compassion she brings to her work. She has already demonstrated the ability to influence employers, develop partnerships, solve complex problems, deliver measurable outcomes and create social value. Her rapid progression to Strategic Account Manager is testament to her performance, but her strongest evidence of leadership is the impact she is already having on others.</p><p>Lauren represents exactly the kind of future leader Somerset needs; someone who understands business and industry while remaining deeply committed to people and place. Whether helping an employer access funding, creating apprenticeships, opening doors for women in construction, supporting vulnerable young people or helping adults into employment, she consistently turns initiative into action and action into measurable impact.</p><p>Lauren is not simply a promising professional. She is already helping shape Somerset’s future workforce, communities and opportunities. With her proven ability to lead, innovate and bring people together, she has enormous potential to become one of Somerset’s next generation of influential leaders.</p>

<p>Weston College is delighted to announce that its Advanced Manufacturing Technical Excellence College (AMTEC) has been shortlisted for two categories, at The Engineer’s 2026 Collaborate to Innovate (C2I) Awards, in: Manufacturing Technology and STEM Initiative.</p><p>The shortlisting recognises AMTEC’s contribution to developing the next generation of engineering talent, strengthening links between education and industry, and addressing the advanced manufacturing sector’s growing demand for specialist technical skills.</p><p>AMTEC has been established to deliver high-quality technical education in direct response to employer needs, providing learners with access to specialist facilities, industry-standard equipment and clear pathways into high-value careers.</p><p>Located in the heart of one of the UK's most significant aerospace and advanced manufacturing hubs, AMTEC will deliver specialist training aligned to employer needs, working closely with industry partners including Airbus, Rolls-Royce, GKN Aerospace and Babcock to ensure apprentices develop the skills required by modern industry.</p><p>Through close collaboration with employers and education partners, AMTEC aims to ensure that training reflects the technologies and capabilities needed by industry. Its ambitions also extend to widening participation in engineering, supporting learners from diverse backgrounds and creating opportunities for more people to access rewarding careers in the sector.</p><p>Weston College’s designation as one of only four Advanced Manufacturing Technical Excellence Colleges in England further highlights the national significance of the project and its potential to influence technical education beyond the South West.</p><p>Tracie Leahy, Programme Director – TEC National Hub and Partnerships, at Weston College, said: “We are incredibly proud that AMTEC has been shortlisted for these prestigious awards. This recognition reflects the ambition behind the project and the collaborative effort of our colleagues, employer partners and education providers.</p><p>“AMTEC is about more than providing specialist facilities. It is about bringing education and industry closer together, ensuring learners develop the skills employers need, and opening up opportunities for more people to build successful careers in advanced manufacturing.</p><p>“With nearly 800 learners enrolled at launch, we are excited about the difference AMTEC can make to the future workforce and the wider engineering sector. We look forward to celebrating alongside the other finalists.”</p><p>The Collaborate to Innovate Awards celebrate outstanding engineering collaborations that bring together expertise to tackle challenges, advance innovation and deliver meaningful impact.</p><p><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/amtec">If you would like to find out about AMTEC, then please click here.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/employers?utm_source=main-menu&amp;utm_medium=… you’re an employer looking to partner with the college, then please click here.</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>My name is Sophie, and I am the <strong>Skills &amp; Employment Business Partner</strong> at <a href="https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/">Bristol Airport,</a> where I oversee <strong>work experience, apprenticeships, </strong>the <strong>Take Off employability programme,</strong> <strong>careers talks</strong> and <strong>careers fairs</strong>. I also build partnerships with schools, colleges and other organisations to create opportunities for people to develop their skills, gain experience and progress into employment or further education.</p><p>When I left school, I honestly wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I wasn’t particularly academic and struggled with exams and traditional classroom learning, so I decided to enrol on a traineeship at Weston College to develop practical skills, gain workplace experience and explore my options.</p><p>After completing the classroom-based element of the traineeship, I moved on to a work experience placement in business administration. This helped me realise that the skills I was developing could be applied across a wide range of careers, which led me to pursue a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/apprenticeships/business-and-… Administration apprenticeship</a> at Weston College.</p><p>I chose Business Administration because it offered transferable skills that would be useful in lots of different roles, even if I didn’t yet know exactly what career I wanted to pursue.</p><p>My experience at Weston College was really positive because it gave me the opportunity to learn in a way that suited me. Combining classroom learning with practical experience and time in the workplace helped me discover what I was good at, rather than feeling that I needed to have my future planned out already.</p><p>Completing my apprenticeship and passing my End-Point Assessment gave me the confidence to take the next step in my career.</p><p>After completing my apprenticeship, I stayed at Weston College and applied for a Support Worker role, helping young people who were in a similar position to where I had been. Many were unsure about their next steps or were not currently in education, employment or training.</p><p>I provided one-to-one advice, guidance and support to help them move into education or employment. It was incredibly rewarding to use my own experiences to show them that not knowing what you want to do at 16 or 18 doesn't mean you can't go on to have a successful career.</p><p>Even now, I still meet people who tell me that I helped them, which is something I'm incredibly proud of.</p><p>I continued to develop my career at Weston College, working across two contracts to support both young people and adults before moving into the apprenticeship team as a Recruitment Advisor.</p><p>One of my main responsibilities was recruiting for the traineeship programme, which was particularly special because it was where my own career journey had started. Having once been a learner on the programme, I was now helping other people access the same opportunities that had helped me.</p><p>After several years at Weston College, I decided I wanted to move into management. I joined a private training company as an <strong>Operations Manager,</strong> overseeing three contracts across the <strong>South West</strong> and <strong>Sussex,</strong> as well as a team of eight staff. The role focused on supporting people into employment through short adult courses and gave me valuable experience in leadership and operational management.</p><p>After around a year and a half, I moved into my current role at <a href="https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/">Bristol Airport</a> as the <strong>Skills &amp; Employment Business Partner.</strong></p><p>Looking back, my career has developed through taking opportunities as they came along, rather than following one fixed plan. Each role has helped me build new skills and experience, opening the door to the next stage of my career.</p><p>Weston College gave me the foundations I needed for my career. My Business Administration apprenticeship was particularly valuable because it helped me develop transferable skills in organisation, communication, planning and administration, which I still use every day.</p><p>It also taught me how to work in a professional environment and gave me practical workplace experience, allowing me to apply what I had learned rather than relying solely on theory.</p><p>Most importantly, Weston College gave me confidence. When I first started, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do and didn't necessarily feel that I was good at education. My experience showed me that there are different ways to learn and that you don't need to have your entire career mapped out from the beginning. That is something I continue to take with me in my work today, particularly when supporting people who are unsure about their future.</p><p>One of the biggest highlights of my career has been seeing the impact of the opportunities I've helped create for others.</p><p>At Bristol Airport, I love seeing apprentices develop throughout their programmes and watching work experience students go on to secure employment. It's particularly rewarding when someone starts with very little idea of what they want to do and discovers a career path they hadn't previously considered.</p><p>My role has also given me some amazing experiences, including the opportunity to visit the airport's control tower and see areas that most people never get to experience.</p><p>The thing I enjoy most about my current role, though, is the people. No two days are the same, and I get to work with colleagues across the airport, as well as schools, colleges, training providers and other organisations.</p><p>I really enjoy the variety, whether I'm working on apprenticeships, supporting our work experience programme or meeting with a college to discuss future opportunities. Everyone at the airport is incredibly helpful and willing to support one another. It genuinely feels like one big family, which makes it a great place to work.</p><p>Ultimately, helping people access opportunities that can change the direction of their careers is what I find most rewarding. It's something that has been a constant throughout my working life, from my time supporting young people at Weston College to the work I do at Bristol Airport today.</p><p>My biggest piece of advice is simple: <strong>don't worry if you don't know what you want to do.</strong></p><p>I didn't know what I wanted to do when I left school and, if I'm completely honest, I still don't have one specific career that I've always wanted to pursue!</p><p>Instead, I'd recommend choosing something that gives you transferable skills. That's why Business Administration worked so well for me. I didn't know where it would take me, but the skills I developed have been useful throughout my entire career.</p><p>I'd also really recommend considering an apprenticeship. You can earn while you learn, gain practical experience and develop skills in a real working environment that you might not gain through classroom learning alone.</p><p>Most importantly, don't feel like you have to have your whole future figured out. Take opportunities, learn from them and don't be afraid to change direction. Your first step doesn't have to determine where you end up.</p><p>If you ever need support or would simply like to have a chat, my door is always open!</p>