<p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Last month, </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Health and Social Care</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> students took part in Health and Social Care Future Skills Week, a week-long project focused on developing important skills for their future careers. Each day gave students the chance to learn something new, work with professionals, and explore different areas of the health and social care sector.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The week started with a wellbeing day, where students worked with the Student Engagement Team, taking part in activities designed to help them look after their own wellbeing, including art therapy, a gym induction, and an afternoon of sports. This gave students time to focus on their own health and welfare and learn ways to stay healthy in the future.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">On Tuesday, students met with guest speakers from different areas of Health and Social Care. Nick Mallett from University Hospitals Bristol and Weston shared his experience in nursing, as well as Jenny Gamlin, a community midwife and health visitor, Michelle Clarke, a respiratory specialist, and Clare Waggett, an occupational therapist, also discussed their roles and what they entail. These sessions provided our learners with a better understanding of the various career options available in the sector.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Wednesday was all about learning key workplace skills. Students took part in training for manual handling, first aid, and learned about National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) and Sepsis 6. These are essential skills that are required for students who wish to begin working in the health and social care sector.&nbsp;</span></p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Lecturer showing students how to use a hoist&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8edd5fc3-613c-4f1e-946a-668ea70a5f81" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;max_500x500&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_loading&quot;:{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;lazy&quot;}}">&nbsp;</drupal-entity><p>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">On Thursday, students took part in the ‘100 New Ideas’ project where they worked in teams with students from different levels to come up with creative ideas to support older people’s health and wellbeing. Their ideas were part of a campaign by the St Monica Trust, and the best ones were chosen by a panel of judges. The winning teams received prizes, and their ideas were shared with St Monica Trust.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The winning idea from our students was to facilitate a bus service between their care villages in Bristol and North Somerset. This would allow residents to participate in events across the organisation, visit people they may know and meet new people. Students also came up with ideas to support dental care, a dating service to build friendships and relationships, and creating more spaces for a variety of worship.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Health and Social Care Future Skills Week provided our students with opportunities to experience different career pathways with industry professionals. It was an excellent way to network and build connections, but also prepare them for a variety of sectors with invaluable information from hands-on workshops and informative guest lectures.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Thank you to the industry professionals who took the time to visit our </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Health and Social Care</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> students and share your first-hand experience.&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/healt…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">If you are interested in applying to one of our Health and Social Care courses, click here.</span></a></p>

<p>Hello everyone, my name is Callum Kavanagh, and I am studying the <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/compu… Production Design and development T level (DPDD)</a> at Weston College. I would love to share my experience of my industry placement at <a href="https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/">Lloyds Banking Group</a> and how I managed to get to where I am.</p><drupal-entity data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ef5a59b3-c683-4294-8b08-453fa2a5dc5b" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;max_285x285&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_loading&quot;:{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;lazy&quot;}}">&nbsp;</drupal-entity><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>My Journey at Weston College</strong></p><p>Before joining the <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/compu… T Level</a> with Weston College, I completed a level 2 course (due to not having the GCSE qualifications) as a progression route to get to the T Level. This helped to build my confidence and basic computing knowledge and even basic academic skills. With support from my Level 2 course, I then achieved a grade I was happy with and progressed with the necessary qualifications to the <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/compu… Production Design and Development T Level</a>.</p><p>Once I started the T Level I was quickly introduced to the hands-on working experience side of the T Level, with talks of employers and how we will be supported in finding them for the Industry Placement module of our course.</p><p>We got to experience a full process of interviews and questions from employers and those who got accepted by an employer could progress onto the industry placement with them. Our lecturer and careers advisors helped train us for these interviews and build our CVS and interview skills.</p><p><strong>My Role at Lloyds Banking Group</strong></p><p>During my placement at <a href="https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/">Lloyds Banking Group</a>, I worked within a data team. I took part in Data Visualisation and Software Development; the work I was tasked with was part of a large-scale strategic project that had a real impact on the company. I was able to work alongside experts in the field, where I completed a solo project that I was tasked with by <a href="https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/">Lloyds Banking Group</a>. This solo project was directly linked to a real-world project that the team was working on, and I was given the task of creating a program to help the teams efficiency. I later found out the program I made was used and built upon by another member of the team who I worked closely with and is now standard use within the team!</p><p>I managed to learn so much within the industry by working there, getting real experience truly is the best way to learn and grow as a developer. I learnt a variety of skills from programming to accessibility and data visualisation, the learning wasn’t only hard skills for the workplace but also key skills transferable to any situation and daily life. I learnt how to work effectively within a team environment and how to complete presentations to large scale audiences. I was able to complete a presentation about my project to over 100 other professionals during a team’s call and sharing my ideas within the company.</p><p><strong>How I was Supported</strong></p><p>Weston College and <a href="https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/">Lloyds Banking Group</a> were both incredible at providing support within the industry placement. <a href="https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/">Lloyds Banking Group</a> always had team members willing to mentor me and answer any questions I had about my own project or the company itself. Weston College maintained a strong line of communication while I was within <a href="https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/">Lloyds Banking Group,</a> checking everything was going as planned and no changes needed to be made.</p><p>As someone who struggles with ADHD, I had worries about if I would be able to stay focused and complete this course. I worried how I would do within a working environment and how I could manage my problems. However, Weston College provided me with support throughout the placement, which was done primarily by a personal member of the ADHD support team at Weston College who I was able to speak to. This became a regular occurrence, and I now meet with him on a regular basis where I learn to manage my ADHD. I also received support from my tutors as they had an understanding of my situation and were always willing to speak with me if I ever had any problems.</p><p><strong>Standout Moments</strong></p><p>The main standout moment for me was being given the trust to take on a solo project and given time to be by myself and work on that project. Being included within the team and not just given some training made me feel important and wanted by the team. This made my working environment an enjoyable place to be and one I could thrive in.</p><p><strong>Plans Following T Level Completion</strong></p><p>After my Industry Placement with <a href="https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/">Lloyd’s Banking Group</a>, I was able to show them my dedication and desire to work further with them. Because of this, I have been offered an apprenticeship with <a href="https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/">Lloyd’s Banking Group</a> within the same team I worked with during my industry placement.</p><p>My advice to others considering the T Level is – DO IT! The T Level course is an incredible course for not only its level of educational standards, but also the opportunity to work within a company and get real experience, which is worth more than any number of textbooks could teach you. If you have the commitment to get your work done, then you will have so many opportunities with this course and even possibly get a direct link to a future employer like I did to <a href="https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/">Lloyds Banking Group</a>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(97, 97, 97);font-family:&quot;Hco Gotham&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:500;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;outline:0px;padding:0px;text-align:start;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><strong style="background-color:transparent;border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;font-size:18px;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">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 </strong></span><a style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(16, 108, 177);font-family:&quot;Hco Gotham&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:500;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;outline:0px;padding:0px;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/jobs?utm_source=main-menu&amp;utm_medium=main-…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/jobs?utm_source=main-menu&amp;utm_medium=main-…; target="_blank"><span style="background-color:transparent;border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(55, 121, 123);font-size:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><strong style="background-color:transparent;border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;font-size:18px;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">here</strong></span></a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(97, 97, 97);font-family:&quot;Hco Gotham&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:500;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;outline:0px;padding:0px;text-align:start;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><strong style="background-color:transparent;border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;font-size:18px;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">. 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;</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/t-lev…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/t-lev…; target="_blank">T Levels</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> are a new and emerging Further Education (FE) qualification that is available to all learners aged 16 to 19. It is the perfect blend of an apprenticeship and classroom study where you can gain a great amount of work experience in a real-life environment. It allows students to get 20% classroom time to broaden their theoretical knowledge, and 80% work placement to gain hands-on experience.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Recently we asked lecturers to nominate a standout student for not only their hard work, but also their attitude and willingness in both the classroom and on placement. One of our Health and Social lecturers, Jazmin Murray, nominated a </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt…; target="_blank">Health: Supporting Adult Nurse Team T Level</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> learner, Sophie, for being a fantastic student inside and outside the classroom.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Sophie is not only a dedicated and hard-working student, but she is also a full-time carer in her personal life. Despite the challenges and responsibilities that she faces, she is a very positive and supportive learner to her peers, helping them in any way she can whilst always being eager to learn. On top of this, Sophie is now a peer mentor for new T Level learners to provide support and guidance for new students based on her experiences.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Jaz Murray says, “Despite her huge level of responsibility in and outside of college, Sophie continues to go above and beyond to support her success. What truly sets her apart from other learners is her unwavering commitment, positive mindset and the personal growth she made last year. It has been a pleasure to have Sophie on the T level, and we are excited to see what the future holds for her.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Sophie has been one of the most optimistic, passionate and dedicated learners I have had the pleasure of working with. She also received glowing feedback from her placement about the impact her time there had on the people accessing services.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">She has left such a significant impact on staff and learners and has overcome so much, highlighting the importance of individuals like Sophie within the health sector.”&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">During Sophie’s </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt…; target="_blank">Health: Supporting Adult Nurse Team T Level</a><span style="font-size:inherit;">, she is currently completing placement at the University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW) NHS Trust Foundation. During her T Level, Sophie must complete 315 hours of work placement to gain real-world experience and work alongside professionals, providing great networking opportunities. This creates the perfect blend of theoretical knowledge and practical experience to provide the learner with a holistic understanding of the healthcare industry.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Sophie is now in her second year of her T Level, with aspirations of completing a BSc in Midwifery next year.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Well done Sophie for this fantastic nomination and all the hard work you have put in throughout your T Level so far, it has not gone unnoticed.&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/healt…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/healt…; target="_blank">If you are interested in applying to Health: Supporting Adult Nurse Team T Level next September, click here.</a><span style="font-size:inherit;">&nbsp;</span></p>