<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Hi, I’m Tom, a Year 1 <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin… 3&nbsp;Business BTEC</a> student at Weston College. My course gave me the opportunity to go on an amazing trip to New York City, where we made lots of memories, gained a greater insight into the industry and experienced many new things. Both my course and this trip have benefitted me greatly due to the range knowledge I have gained and the opportunities I have received like the trip to New York which I will discuss below!&nbsp;</p><p>The New York trip was across 5 days, exploring the sights around Manhattan and no day was the same, every day was filled with new landmarks, attractions and memories. We went to Times Square, The Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, The 9/11 Memorial and many more. We also had an even balance of free time, which gave us all time to try American food and experience things that are once in a lifetime.&nbsp;</p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Panorama photograph of Times Square taken by Tom&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d0b084d5-9c23-49b9-8ca8-5feac6d7728c" 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>The memories started when we landed in New York and headed through JFK airport, and whilst waiting for other students at security, we saw Mike Tyson! It was a memorable start to the trip as he met everyone there, including the students.&nbsp;</p><p>Once we’d unpacked our bags, we took to Times Square and were in awe of the American nightlife, particularly the tall buildings and billboards, and the huge amount of people. It even began to snow! We then got food, did some shopping and explored the area. My friends and I went to Raising Canes for the first time (now a group favourite of ours) and we were greeted by the queue reaching the door, they even had a live DJ!&nbsp;</p><p>The next day, we went to visit the Statue of Liberty! We got on the island and took a group photo, and we explored the area, grabbed some food, looked around the museum, and then went to Ellis Island where we learned about its historical significance around immigration. We then had a snowball fight between first- and second-year students! Later in the day, we walked to Chinatown where everyone explored the rich culture, before heading to the Brooklyn Bridge. That night we went out to Times Square again, shopped for souvenirs and got the famous New York Pizza!&nbsp;</p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Polaroid photograph of Tom and his friends&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9353d7e1-359f-42be-ba06-1ed07c858d39" 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>Our third day was extremely busy, we walked past the Ghostbusters Building before an impactful visit to the 9/11 memorial where we learnt more about the attacks, saw exhibits, viewed real pieces of the salvaged towers before finishing with an emotional video. This was a very powerful and insightful part of the trip. We then had free time around the area, so of course we went to an American McDonalds!&nbsp;</p><p>After this, we went to Wall Street for our guided tour with our extremely eccentric tour guide, Jared, which made the tour a lot more engaging due to his wisdom and quirkiness. The tour taught us a lot about the history of Wall Street, banking and so much more. That night, we walked around Rockefeller centre and got Chick Fill A as a group.&nbsp;</p><p>The following day, we went up the Empire State Building, walked around the exhibits, and took some pictures from the very top. Since it was Valentine’s Day, we witnessed four proposals which made the experience a lot more wholesome! I even bought a Lego set of some iconic NYC buildings from the gift shop.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>After this, we had some more free time, so my friends and I split a pizza together and did some shopping before heading to Central Park and 5th avenue. By this point in the trip, we were doing 25,000 steps per day and my feet couldn’t take it, so I got a taxi back to the hotel and rested for a bit before rejoining the group later, feeling a lot better.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>That night, we heard rumours that it was the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, so we rushed down to Rockefeller Centre where we stood in the audience and saw Jimmy Fallon walk outside!&nbsp;</p><p>On the fifth and final day, we visited the Highline, an abandoned railway line which has been converted into a footpath, before visiting the market below which was full of interesting shops and places to eat. We then headed to our meetup point, the Vessel, where I had a look in the Ray Bans store and, after long consideration, I bought a pair of Meta Ray Bans which allowed me to get some immersive pictures and videos in Times Square!&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Unfortunately, it was time to get ready for our flight back to London. Once we landed and got off the plane, we headed for the coach back to college, and throughout the coach trip, there was good vibes the whole way, trying to remain on the trip as long as we could, but sadly, after 5 days and 120,000 steps later, we were back at college, where our loved ones were waiting.&nbsp;</p><p>This trip was an amazing opportunity to learn about international Business, and Travel &amp; Tourism, whilst trying new experiences and making friends and memories along the way. This is not the only trip offered by Business and Travel &amp; Tourism! Other trips include Alton Towers, Mendip Activity Centre, becoming a British Airways Cabin Crew member and many more.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin… you would like to apply to one of our Business courses, click here.</u></a></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Business Enterprise Challenge is a fantastic competition ran every year for </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Business</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> and </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Travel and Tourism</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> students to give them a chance to work as a team and create a marketable product that they can sell to the public in order to raise money for Weston Hospicecare. This is the fourth year of the Business Enterprise Challenge and, so far, their efforts have raised over £22,500 for Weston Hospicecare in the last 4 years! &nbsp;</span></p><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nQOqhNCNB-0?si=L69yS34lyWqUyjZh&quot; title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">There were 21 groups in total and each group start the challenge with a £50 investment from local employers to be used as the start up for their products. They then design and create an innovative business plan to sell and reinvest their profits to further develop their sales and grow their product and community impact. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Every group taking part in this challenge are provided with a business mentor from a local employer in Weston-super-Mare. These mentors provide support and guidance throughout the whole process, offering the students with invaluable advice in areas such as networking, financial management, sales and much more. This provides the learners with essential transferrable skills for future entrepreneurs. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">All groups came up with unique and innovative products, however three groups in particular took the challenge in stride and exceeded all expectations, raising large sums of money and going above and beyond during the selling process. During this challenge, we offer Bronze, Silver and Gold awards as an incentive to work harder and win the title. The winners also got public recognition and a certificate to reward their efforts. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Our Bronze winners created personalised lip gloss keychains which were loved by all ages. By keeping costs low and sales high, their product remains popular among students and staff. Their dedication, even outside of lessons, helped them raise an impressive £519.16. </span></p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Bronze group on stage at Celebration of Success holding up their certificate&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1e3b784e-3c2f-4f6c-8579-68c98de46953" 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 style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Our Silver winners showcased creativity and smart reinvestment, selling bespoke Halloween and Christmas candles at high-profit margins. They leveraged each other's strengths, worked closely with their mentors, and attended external events, raising an amazing £627.25. </span></p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Silver group on stage at Celebration of Success holding up their certificate&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="25cbfa1b-6ca2-4f92-8825-7d183b7e1a65" 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 style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">All teams worked extremely hard, but our Gold winners, Wax and Walkies, smashed the record, raising more money than any other group in the last four years with a fantastic £1,100. Selling wax melts, hot chocolate, and dog treats, they created a diverse range of products to maximise sales. With mentor Sarah’s guidance, they built one of the project’s strongest brands, earning them the top spot—complete with custom T-shirts to further promote their products!  &nbsp;</span></p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Gold group on stage at Celebration of Success holding up their certificate&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a40aa5c3-f86a-43d0-9fc6-e4d931bba939" 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 style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">This challenge allows the students to think creatively and independently in order to develop and sell products for profit. By working with local employers and mentors, the students got to engage with the local community, whilst also learning more about the logistics behind setting up a business and the importance of financial management and much more. It gave them invaluable experience from a real-world setting and provided them with transferrable skills for the future. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Kirsty Simmons, the Community Fundraising Manager at Weston Hospicecare, thanked our students for the amazing work they have done for them over the years, adding, “This fundraiser is amazing for Weston Hospicecare and Weston College because we’re getting the community together. Not only are we getting fundraising, but the students are learning from mentors that are out in the business world where they can make new relationships and connections which they can use going forward. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">This money will go to patients with life-limiting illnesses and their family members. It’s really crucial to know that we are not just here for the patients, but we are also here for their families.” &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">We are incredibly proud of all the students who have taken part this year, raising a total that has surpassed all other years once again with a fantastic £7289.87 which has been donated directly to Weston Hospicecare. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Thank you to the mentors and local employers that invested in our learners, got involved with the project and supported them through the process. This challenge would not be possible without your involvement. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">If you’re interested in applying to one of our </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Business</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> or </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Travel and Tourism</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> courses, click here. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;"><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 </strong></span><a 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="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;"><strong>here</strong></span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"><strong>. 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:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Last month, a group of </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Business</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> and </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Travel and Tourism</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> students went on an exciting trip to New York City. They explored famous landmarks, experienced different cultures, and learned more about their studies in a real-world setting. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The trip gave students a chance to see how a big city operates and to visit well-known places like the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, Rockefeller Centre, Wall Street, the Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the High Line, and Central Park. Each stop gave them a better understanding of history, business, and tourism and, because they visited over Valentine’s Day, they witnessed 4 proposals which was definitely a highlight! &nbsp;</span></p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Business and Travel students smiling in Grand Central Station&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7a042fd0-03f6-462d-bd13-2176465f8013" 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 style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Besides the main attractions, students also explored Ellis Island, Chinatown, Little Italy, and 5th Avenue. These areas gave them a glimpse into the different cultures that make up New York and allowed them to see parts of the city that are not always on the typical tourist route. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Many students found the 9/11 Memorial and Museum particularly impactful as it was such a powerful experience and a massive part of history, being portrayed through exhibitions, personal stories, and artefacts. For our Travel learners, it put something they have read and learnt about in the classrooms into a real-world context and gave them a deeper understanding of how it affected travel and tourism, not only in America, but internationally. &nbsp;</span></p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Picture of the 9/11 Memorial&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fefa1f8e-83b4-4641-a2e6-eebb78b0ca6b" 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><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Students standing on Brooklyn Bridge smiling&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8ead08e8-7d25-4db0-8b5a-81c31217c67d" 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 style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Lucille, a first-year Level 3 </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Travel and Tourism</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> student, shared her experience: “The New York trip was so much fun, from seeing and exploring the landmarks of the city to meeting&nbsp;other learners in other classes who also went on the trip. I especially enjoyed seeing the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge while getting to try some classic New York experiences like riding in a yellow taxi and tasting amazing food.” &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Hannah Carstensen, one of our </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Travel and Tourism</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> lecturers who organised the trip, added, “For both our Business and Travel and Tourism learners, this was an incredible opportunity to visit a premier destination for tourism which is home to countless corporations, financial institutions and business headquarters.”  &nbsp;</span></p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Travel and Tourism students wearing cabin crew blazers and helping them out&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3b8ff194-1c8c-400c-acfc-ce00fe2e1fdb" 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:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Beyond learning, the trip helped the learners create unforgettable memories and build friendships with students on different courses that they don’t always get chance to interact with. It was an incredible trip that allowed them to experience a city completely different to Weston-super-Mare. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:16px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">If you are interested in applying to one of our </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Business</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> or </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/trave…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">Travel and Tourism</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> courses, click here.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:16px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;"><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 </strong></span><a 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="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;"><strong>here</strong></span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"><strong>. 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>