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QUALIFICATIONS EXPLAINED
A Levels develop the knowledge, skills and study habits to excel at university, as well as the attributes recognised by employers.
Your academic studies will be complemented with enrichment opportunities such as trips, mentoring and work experience, providing the perfect springboard for your future career.
A Levels are assessed through exams at the end of two years of study. Most learners study three subjects - some choose four.
With an apprenticeship you’ll go straight into the workplace and be shown clear routes to progress straight into employment within a specific occupation. You can achieve nationally recognised qualifications, earn a wage, and gain skills that will see you get ahead. On average you will spend 20% of your learning time in the college and 80% within the workplace
Professional and technical qualifications are designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to gain employment within specific industries or occupations. They provide a balance between theory and practical skills development. They are suited to those who want to get hands-on experience within a particular vocational area. These programmes include work placements. Assessment is more varied and will include exams, coursework and practical work.
T Levels give you the chance to learn what a real career is like while you continue your studies. T Levels have been designed with leading businesses and employers to give you the knowledge and skills you need, including a minimum of 45 days on an industry placement – this means you will spend 80% of your learning time in College and 20% within the workplace.
LATEST NEWS
Weston College has successfully managed to achieve its target of 200 apprenticeship pledges in just 71 days.
Following on from previous successful campaigns, the College decided to raise the bar and launch the ambitious attempt to create 200 apprenticeship places for students across the South West in just 100 days.
With 75 days having past, the College has managed to achieve 211 apprenticeship pledges with 25 days left to continue to create opportunities. Among the businesses that have pledged are Yeo Valley, the NHS, Poppy’s Homecare and NK Sports.
The pledges have taken on a diverse range of apprenticeships, across professions such as: customer services, adult care, business administration, commis chef, IT and management.
One firm that has pledged is Bristol based software and technology company One Big Circle. Emily Kent, Director of One Big Circle, said: “Thanks to Weston College’s 200 in 100 campaign we now have a fantastic Software Developer Apprentice in place, recruited from an excellent field of candidates.
“We were impressed with how the whole process was managed and supported, and we hope to recruit other apprentice roles through the College in the very near future.”
Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “We are thrilled with the achievement of reaching this ambitious target with so much time to spare.
“At Weston College we aim to create brighter futures and this campaign is further proof of that as we are helping young learners take their first step onto the jobs ladder.
“The skills gap is a hot topic for businesses at the moment with employers wondering where their future work force is going to come from, but through this campaign we have been able to source talented apprentices with businesses across all sectors.
“Throughout this campaign we have built new relationships with employers, and I look forward to these progressing further in the future. Thank you to all of our employers and regional partners for supporting such a valuable initiative.”
You can keep an eye on the campaign’s progress across social media, with #200in100 being used on Twitter.
There is still time for you to pledge to take on an apprentice in the campaign, click here. You can also email the apprenticeship team at apprenticeships@weston.ac.uk or call on 01934 411 594.
Over 1,200 students attended Weston College’s annual Brighter Futures Fair at the Winter Gardens.
The fair provides College students with the opportunity to meet a range of employers and education providers, and make a more informed decision about their next steps.
Universities and businesses were among 50 exhibitors at the event, including EDF Energy, Osborne Clarke, The Honeytree Day Nursery, University of Bristol and First Group.
Emma Cox, Training Co-Ordinator at exhibitor Thatchers Cider, said: “We strongly believe in offering local young people career opportunities, so it was exciting to be involved in the Brighter Futures Fair and meet so many Weston College learners.
“We have a wide variety of career opportunities within Thatchers and working closely with Weston College has enabled us to source local talent.”
Ben Cocks, Assistant Director – School Engagement and Learner Growth – at Weston College, said: “We were delighted to host another successful careers fair – one that provided our learners with an opportunity to talk to a real range of exhibitors.
“We feel it is critical to provide our learners with the platform to engage with both employers and universities, as this will help them make an informed decision on their next steps.”
There was also the opportunity for the learners to win some exciting prizes, including an Amazon Echo, Lasseter's restaurant vouchers and a Swansea monopoly set. There 14 prize winners were:
• Chloe Peacock
• Chloe Pritchard
• Skylar Beacham
• Kraig Taylor-Bryant
• Josh Mitchell
• Mark Tapley
• Jaida White
• Kieran Perry
• Charlotte Bailey
• Tasin Ahmed
• Alistair Cameron-Kettle
• Blake Goodare
• Lottie Gwer
• Ewan Barnfather
Weston College has set up a new competition to recognise students’ volunteering efforts.
The Community-Based Volunteering Project requires students to dedicate time to an organisation of their choosing over a set period.
As well as being hugely rewarding, the project is a fantastic opportunity to build employment contacts and will look great on CVs.
To enter the competition, learners must contact a charity or organisation they would like to help and put together a project proposal. This should include the organisation name, proposed number of hours and the resulting benefits.
Proposals must then be emailed to volunteering@weston.ac.uk and approved before the volunteering can take place. Once the projects have been completed and evaluated, a group of winners will be announced on the 14th June 2019. They will be awarded a financial fund to spend in agreement with tutors.
As well as entering the competition, learners can earn a Weston College Volunteering Award. This recognises the commitment and dedication that is shown show by volunteering. The award is structured into three tiers – bronze, silver and gold – which correspond to the number of hours spent volunteering within each academic year.
For more details, read to the Community Based Volunteering Project and Volunteering Award Guide or email volunteering@weston.ac.uk.
WHICH LEVEL IS RIGHT FOR ME?
