Weston College student Fahma Mohamed was invited to 10 Downing Street last week (Thursday 14th) to meet David Cameron as part of his community engagement forum.

Fahma, 19, who is currently enrolled on an Access to Higher Education course at the College, was questioned by the Prime Minister on Muslim women’s issues in British society.

The Prime Minister was keen to find out what it means to be a Muslim female in Britain today and learn about the issues of empowerment, segregation and isolation that Muslim women face.

In a Sunday Times article after the meeting, David Cameron called Fahma a brilliant Muslim women’s role model.

“I heard great examples of so many women who are flourishing in our country,” he wrote, while raising the issue that some Muslim women are forced into gender segregation, discrimination and social isolation from mainstream British life.

Mr Cameron said it was time to be "more assertive about our liberal values, more clear about the expectations we place on those who come to live here and build our country together and more creative and generous in the work we do to break down barriers."

In a Facebook post following the meeting, Fahma commented that she enjoyed meeting the Prime Minister and was glad that he was listening to the voices of British Muslim women.

Fahma is a junior trustee of Integrate Bristol, a charity that was set up to help with the integration of young people who have arrived in Britain from other cultures. She is the eldest of nine children and moved to Britain when she was seven when her parents fled war-torn Somalia.

In 2014, she rose to international fame after creating a petition seeking to put education at the heart of tackling female genital mutilation, which became one of the fastest-growing ever seen on change.org and was signed by nearly 250,000 people.

The petition drew the attention of the then UK Education Secretary Michael Gove, who praised Fahma’s “inspirational” campaign and ensured that the Department for Education wrote to all schools about female genital mutilation and provided materials for teachers to tackle the subject.

She also met the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and who promised to use the influence of the United Nations to ensure that the campaign, backed by the Guardian newspaper, received global attention.

Weston College is working with West of England local authorities to develop and deliver a bespoke flagship apprenticeship scheme.

The West of England Civil/Highways Apprenticeship Programme is being created with Bristol City Council, Bath & North East Somerset Council, North Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council.

The aim of the collaborative approach is to address the current skills shortage while also focusing on finding future employees and growing talent within the unitary authorities.

Liz Redwood, Head of Weston College’s Training Solutions said: “This is an innovative and collaborative approach by the authorities, helping them to address issues around staff recruitment and retention.

“The authorities recognise that the pipeline of major developments coming forward across the West of England and South West, along with the potential impact of the new Hinkley Point C (HPC) development, could exacerbate these issues.”

The bespoke West of England Civil/Highways Apprenticeship Programme has been designed to meet identified joint requirements of the authorities.

It will comprise up to 13 apprentices, across the four authorities. Each apprentice will be employed directly by one of the authorities and will undertake the majority of the apprenticeship there, but will have opportunities to rotate around the four authorities to gain experience in different areas of specialisms. One day a week the apprentices will attend Weston College’s new Future Technology Centre at the South West Skills Campus for further training.

In addition to providing technical skills and experience, the apprenticeships will also focus upon personal development. Each apprentice will work towards a Level 3 Civil Engineering and Technical Support Apprenticeship, which includes units on construction technology; construction and design; science and maths for construction; construction processes and operations; tendering and estimating and exploring civil engineering.

The first wave of vacancies will be advertised on our website from 1st February, with further vacancies being advertised during National Apprenticeship Week (March 14th-18th).

Dr Paul Phillips, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “Weston College is delighted to be working in partnership with the West of England unitary authorities, helping them to deliver a bespoke, pro-active and innovative approach to planning for their future skills requirements.”

Weston College will be holding a unique open event that will bring together prospective students and employers wishing to recruit apprentices in a variety of sectors.

Businesses from across the region with live apprenticeship vacancies will be at the College’s Knightstone Campus from 5pm to 8pm on Tuesday 15th March in order to provide information about their companies, describe the job roles available and answer any questions.

Some of the employers will also offer interactive workshops at the event, which is being held to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week.

Among employers attending the open evening will be: Purplex Marketing, Honey Tree Nursery, Concierge and Notaro Homes.

Training managers from the College will be available throughout the evening to discuss apprenticeships and share apprentice portfolios to give people an understanding of what is expected of an apprentice.

The Weston College Apprenticeships Team will also be in attendance to offer advice and guidance on apprenticeships and traineeships, and will be on hand to support attendees with applications and CVs.

All three of the College’s campuses will be open and representatives from all courses and subject areas will be available to provide advice and guidance.

Dr Paul Phillips OBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “This year we wanted to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week in style and this open evening is a great way to do that. It presents a fantastic opportunity for anyone of any age that wants to become an apprentice to meet with employers who are currently recruiting.

“Apprenticeships are a key focus for Weston College as we recognise the importance of them to help drive the economy and develop the skills that businesses need.

Register below to reserve a place at the event: