Weston College has made it into the prestigious Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list.

The College was the highest ranked College in the list and was placed 28th in the not-for-for profit category in the whole of the UK.

The Sunday Times 100 list is regarded as the Oscars of employee engagement. The 2019 places were announced at a glitzy awards ceremony held at the Battersea Evolution, London on Wednesday 20th February.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “To be included in such a prestigious roll of honour at the Sunday Times 100 List is a major achievement and testament to the emphasis we place on putting our staff at the heart of the business.

“Employee engagement and investment are among our highest priorities. This award reflects those priorities, as well as the commitment and dedication our people give us in return.

"Being recognised at UK level is hugely rewarding and we will continue to work hard to support our employees both personally and professionally.”

The College won a place in the list after a comprehensive staff survey carried out by ‘Best Companies’, who compile the Sunday Times List. The survey gathered the views of Weston College employees across eight key factors including wellbeing, pay and benefits, personal growth and the strength of leadership at the College.

Organisations in the not-for-profit category must employ at least 50 employees, and achieve one of the highest 100 highest survey scores in the category. They must also be either a charity, an organisation set up for community benefit, a public sector organisation, or a Community Interest Company (CIC).

The innovative training course launched last year but already boasts numerous success stories. Students have completed apprenticeships at high profile restaurants across Bristol and the South West, as well as being nominated for prestigious awards.

One of those success stories is Elliott, who aims to become a Michelin-starred chef and believes the apprenticeship has set him on the path to achieving it.

He said: “I decided to join Weston College as food and cooking has always been my passion.

“My godmother is a really good cook and she has been an inspiration to me. When I was younger we used to cook together, so I knew I wanted to be a chef from a very young age.”

“When I saw the apprenticeship advertised with weekly masterclasses taught by local Michelin-starred chefs, it really grabbed my attention,” Elliott said.

“The masterclasses, which teach a diverse range of techniques, have exceeded my expectations. A great example is one we had from a local fishmonger - an area I lacked experience in.

“We were shown how to gut and fillet a salmon and several mackerel. It didn’t stop there as the masterclasses go into real depth. We were also shown how to trim and pin bone, as well being taught about different types of cuts and cooking techniques.”

Thanks to Weston College, Elliott has gained an apprenticeship at Puro restaurant in Clevedon.

“The whole process of getting an apprenticeship was very easy,” he said. “I have received great support from Weston College. My college assessors actually come to me as well which saves me travelling to Weston. I really enjoy my apprenticeship and the team give me expert training.

“My long-term ambition is to gain Rosettes (a cooking accreditation award) and also to become a Michelin starred chef in the future. College has also helped me to get the ball rolling on this. Through the programme I have been taught key skills in a range of areas which include butchery, fish mongering and desserts which I have been able to perfect during my apprenticeship.”

Elliott points out that the apprenticeship doesn’t only teach students to cook – it also helps them in many other aspects of their career.

He said: “I have received a large amount of support from the College. Not only are my college tutors at every practical session, but they offer great support on the theory too which has really developed my knowledge, they have also supported me with my functional skills (English, maths and ICT). This would have been a real struggle for me without their help.”

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‘Devised’ was a five-week project, culminating in a theatre performance made up of short stories by students on the Level 2 and 3 Performing Arts courses.

Students were split into groups and tasked with creating their own theatre companies. They conducted interviews addressing serious issues such as eating disorders, loss and mental health, and used the content to write scripts. This technique is known as ‘verbatim’ and was inspired by studying the theatre company ‘DV8’.

The performance, at Berkoff Theatre in Weston, was a huge success and earned high praise from numerous members of the public.

This is one audience member’s reaction to the performance:

“What an incredible show. Devised was simply superb, beautiful and emotional. I could add more superlatives but it wouldn’t do justice to the outstanding acting, emotion and expression.

“The opening scene was incredible. It was about missing people and there were some amazing messages coming through about the pain and suffering of those whose loved ones have gone missing. I was on the edge of my seat. Tears did start rolling down my face though, and that was just the opening scene!

“I could go on and on about Devised. As a therapist who works with many of the issues and themes that were acted out, I was able to relate to so much of it on a professional level. The piece on addiction was outstanding and all the themes throughout this play resonated with the work I do.

“All of the young people in this play were excellent. A massive thank you to the Creative Arts Department for empowering all the young people on the Level 3 Performing Arts course to produce this show. It was stunningly brilliant.”