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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 is set to play a lead role in tackling the construction industry skills shortage by opening a state-of-the-art industry focused training centre.
The Weston College Construction Training Centre, based just off Junction 21 of the M5, will open in spring 2019 and represents a £3.8 million investment.
It will offer training in three key construction areas – plant operations, scaffolding, and groundworks.
Courses have been selected and designed with employers’ needs in mind and in response to the growing demand for a trained and skilled construction workforce in the region.
Training will be available as required by employers and individuals, rather than fitting into the traditional academic year.
Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group said: “The Construction Training Centre is a natural step into commercial training and starts an exciting chapter for us.
“Over the last ten years, we’ve built strong relationships with employers to develop our apprenticeship provision.
“But we’ve recognised, more and more, the need to deliver training at the point of need – not only for school leavers during the academic year.
“The Construction Training Centre means employers can come to us at any time for short courses, top-up courses, and to up-skill staff who are taking on new roles. We’ll also provide apprenticeships in these new areas to train the next generation of this industry’s workforce.”
The new centre has been designed to equip industry with the workforce it needs now and into the future.
Dr Paul Phillips said: “It’s a direct response to the skills shortage in the three areas.
The ability for the centre to offer plant training for all major site plant will be a significant development for the South West, whether that is with 360 excavators, dumper trucks or telehandlers, the centre will offer easily accessible training, key to meeting industry demand.
The College has commissioned Midas Construction to build the centre.
Dr Paul Phillips said: “We have a long-running relationship with Midas. They understand the College, our priorities and how to provide the learning environment that students need.”
Weston College will team up with national leader for scaffolding, safety experts Simian, to provide outstanding scaffolding training.
This training centre has been made possible through the efforts of Weston College in partnership with the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership and North Somerset Council.
The financial investment has been provided by the College match-funding a successful bid for funding from the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) through the Local Growth Fund, administered by the West of England Combined Authority.
Chair of the West of England LEP, Prof Steve West, said: “We’re really pleased to support the fantastic new Construction Training Centre at Weston College. This will help to equip our current and future construction workforce with the skills they need to drive forward the building of new homes, business premises and infrastructure as our region grows. It will also help them to secure better career prospects and make the most of the opportunities available right here in the West of England.”
Derek Quinn, Executive Director for Midas Construction, said: “We are delighted to be continuing the strong framework partnership between Weston College and Midas. As a regionally-based business we are active in promoting opportunities for careers within construction and so we are particularly proud to be involved in bringing forward this new facility which will help develop a skilled and highly-trained workforce for the future.”
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).
Hi, I’m Josh, and I recently won Bronze in the national BTEC Awards’ IT and Computing Student of the Year.
When I started the BTEC IT course, I was at a low point, having had an unsuccessful year of A Levels in my secondary school. I decided to change over to this course, as I have always been passionate about IT and it is a subject that I perform strongly in. It also allows me to make things happen and create solutions and make processes more efficient.
The BTEC course suited my learning style to a tee, as it doesn’t just teach you theory, it is very practical. This enabled me to gain a better understanding of subject areas such as Networks, Software Development and Security. I also developed my communication skills through units such as Project Management and Effective Communication – which is something that has helped me both academically and personally.
During my first year of the course, I completed over 50 hours of work experience at PureComms – a local Telecommunications firm. I highly enjoyed this experience as it gave me an understanding of the industry, and also opened my eyes to potential future career paths.
I have now completed my course, and chosen to go on and complete an apprenticeship to develop my industry knowledge. I have been fortunate enough to receive two exciting job offers from well-known brands within the industry – one in software development and the other in cyber security.
I really enjoyed this course and appreciate that Weston Colleges recognises my efforts by including me in the prospectus, on banners, and use my quotes across social media and the website. I am also a role model for people with disabilities, as I haven’t let my cerebral palsy hold me back. I have worked hard and my success proves this.
I would highly recommend this course if you are practical learner and love all things technology.
Josh Callicott
Tech Weston
With digital skills being fundamental to economic growth and recovery, Weston College continues to engage with and listen to employers ensuring we understand the support businesses need to thrive, whether it’s upskilling the existing workforce or accessing future talent. We have been working with leaders across the tech industry to evolve our offer to ensure Weston College is the training destination for tech talent.
We’ve developed and streamlined our website to make is easier for employers to understand and access the wealth of learning opportunities and expertise available. Discover the newly created TECH WESTON web page, and see the range of bespoke training, online courses, skill-specific bootcamps, apprenticeship programmes to industry placements: www.weston.ac.uk/techweston
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