We recently caught up with Maria, a talented second year student currently studying T Level Production Design and Development.

Maria began her journey at Weston college with the T Level Computing and Digital technical progression programme which provided her the opportunity to develop skills such as teamworking, basic python coding and website deigning. Maria stated that the level two technical progression programme helped ‘develop her skills and understanding of programming’ and ‘gave her an insight about the technical and non-technical skills that she needed to develop further’.

Moving onto the T Level Digital Production Design and Development Maria continued her excellence, especially when completing her industry placement. Her determination and passion drove her to be the first student to complete all the industry placement hours working on PHP development systems. Her hard work was reflected with excellent feedback from her industry placement employer.

Maria decided on studying a T Level due to the 315 hours of industry placement offered, which she realised would allow her to gain knowledge and experience to help her continue into either a skilled job, higher apprenticeship or university. Maria found her T Level ‘fun, and not as difficult or stressful as it might seem’, she also thoroughly enjoyed when she got to create her own website from scratch.

The Digital Production Design and Development T Level, is a two year course based at Knightstone campus. The T Level is designed and developed in collaboration with employers, which allows students to have a mixture of classroom learning and work-based experience to help build technical skills to kick start your career into the digital sector. Studying this course means you will be apart of our computing and IT career excellence hub, as well as provided with the opportunity to join our esports academy!

Throughout the T Level Maria has grown in both confidence and knowledge, and her tutor is confident she will continue this trend and become an invaluable member of any team within the industry. After completing her course, Maria hopes to take a gap year to develop her skills further and the progress onto a higher apprenticeship!

We wish you the best of luck Maria!

Here at Weston College, we understand that things can happen to change your work or career path, leaving you at a crossroads, unsure of what your next steps might be.  

Skill Up is a course aimed at those who need that extra bit of support with confidence building, to provide valuable skills and rekindle a sense of purpose in individuals who may have been out of the workforce for a while. 

This course, aimed to upskill the learners, include confidence building, decision making, effective communication and many other skills that are crucial when re-entering the world of work. 

Sharon, a Skill Up learner, who recently completed the course, shared some wonderful feedback: 

“The course was wonderful, I really enjoyed it! The tutors were brilliant, especially Paul. They were all really friendly and took the time to help you and were happy to do so. 

“It was also really nice for me to get out from my own four walls. It got me back in to a working routine. 

“The mock interview was really useful and I got great feedback. 

“I’m really pleased I was put forward for the course and I would recommend anyone to go on it if you’re an older person and not worked for a while. 

“It gave me confidence and purpose as well as improving my IT skills.” 

We are thrilled at the impact this has had on Sharon and the confidence it has given her in many different ways. 

Our aim is to upskill as many adults as possible throughout the month of October and beyond. If you would like to upskill yourself or your employees, click here to find out more about our 30 Day Challenge, where we are aiming to help 150 adults upskill in just 30 days! 

Last week, learners studying courses as part of our Public Services Career’s Excellence Hub, went on an exciting trip to Weston-super-Mare Fire Station. The initiative aimed to expose learners to the multifaceted world of firefighting and kindle their aspirations of becoming future heroes of the community.

Hosted by the dedicated Blue Watch team at Weston-super-Mare Fire Station, the visit proved to be an unqualified success. Watch Manager Chris Bacon, who was involved with the visit, reported: "The day was a real success, with four of the group expressing an interest in joining our Service at the next recruitment window."

Approximately 20 students from Weston College seized this unique opportunity to step into the shoes of a firefighter. Their day began with a hands-on experience, participating in practical firefighter tests and interacting closely with the seasoned crews. This immersive experience allowed them to gain insights into the life of a firefighter, including the challenges and rewards.

The highlight of the visit was a dynamic question-and-answer session with the fire service's recruitment team. This gave the students an invaluable platform to delve deeper into the intricacies of a firefighter's role and gather information on potential career paths.

Subject Area Manager for Public Services, David Beresford, said: “At Weston College we prepare our learners for a career, rather than just to pass their course. This trip has inspired our students, giving them a real insight into a career as a firefighter. Thank you to Chris and the team for hosting our learners.”

This employer project forms part of the Public Services Careers Excellence Hub. Weston College's Career Excellence Hubs are designed to be the launching pad for our learners' careers. In a world where connections and relevant skills matter more than ever, these hubs offer a holistic approach that prepares learners to thrive in their chosen industries. With the support of these hubs, our learners are well-equipped to make a significant impact in their professional journeys.

Find out more about our Public Services courses, by clicking here.