Work experience is an integral part of our learners' educational journey as it gives them the chance to experience a real-world working environment with hands-on experience which will give them a better understanding of their future career path. 

One of our Sixth Form learners, Ryan, has exceeded expectations by landing a placement in Belize in Central America with his stepdad working with two organisations, Defence Infrastructure Organisation Belize (DIO), and the British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB). This placement is a fantastic opportunity that will give Ryan invaluable experience and transferrable skills that he can use in the future. 

Ryan is currently in his second year of A Levels at our Sixth Form, studying Maths, Further Maths, Physics, and is even teaching himself AS Sociology at home. Ryan has also received a conditional offer from the University of Nottingham to study an integrated master's degree in Theoretical Astrophysics. He is an outstanding student that works extremely hard to not only succeed academically but also prepare for his future. 

For his work experience, Ryan will be working for two organisations; DIO which is responsible for managing overseas defence estates (barracks, bases, camps, etc), and for BATSUB which is a training establishment for short term jungle training of British troops.  

During this week, he will be working on the installation of underground electrical cables in trenches, feeder pillars and Distribution Substations, conducting building refurbishment on technical and domestic accommodation, and conducting statutory and reactive maintenance. 

Ryan is confident that this placement will benefit him massively, saying “learning to experience a workplace environment and completing non-academic tasks will give me much needed experience for any future job.  

I will gain exclusive insight into military careers and manual labour (trade/skilled labour) but also cultural insight into life in Belize (should I wish to take a gap year there with family). I will learn key skills including communication, risk management (dynamic and planned), and teamwork.  

I consider myself extremely lucky to have these opportunities available to me. I’ve lived in many places around the country as a service child and have experienced a large variety of different school environments. I think this has allowed me to develop my adaptability which will benefit me in my role.” 

Due to his familiarity with Belize, Ryan confirmed that he is comfortable with completing his work experience there and is feeling excited to work in such a professional environment, being given responsibilities and important tasks that will provide him with invaluable, hands-on experience and transferrable skills that he can use in his future career. 

Thank you to Ryan for sharing his story and we wish you all the best for your upcoming work experience.  

If you’re interested in applying to join our Sixth Form in September, click here. 

We recently spoke with a previous adult learner of ours, Nichole, who underwent our ‘Training the Trainer’ course, to find out how the course has helped her in her current role.

Hi, I’m Nichole, a Senior Projects Officer at North Somerset Council. Over a year ago, I did the 2 day ‘Training the Trainer’ course at Weston College, which was encouraged to me by my employer, North Somerset Council (NSC), as part of their commitment to staff development.

At North Somerset Council, my role combines technical expertise, change management, and project management, and I am tasked with training colleagues in a variety of subjects. As someone accustomed to wearing many hats, I felt that I needed a solid foundation to help me develop and deliver effective training sessions. Weston College’s ‘Training the Trainer’ course offered the perfect opportunity to hone these skills.

One of the key benefits of the ‘Training the Trainer’ course is the emphasis on building confidence in presenting to groups. I was initially feeling slightly apprehensive about presenting - a very common fear in the workplace! However, the course helped me to realise that the fear of presenting is often much greater than the actual experience; it is never as scary as you originally might think. The course provided a supportive and safe environment that allowed me to practice new skills and step outside of my comfort zone.

One aspect of this course that stood out for me was the guidance of Megan, the course leader. Megan’s approach to teaching helped me to not only understand the mechanics of creating a training program but also see the importance of establishing clear objectives and purpose. I walked out with a much greater understanding of how to create a purpose for the course I had to design in my current role – and this clarity has been crucial for me as I have moved forward in my responsibilities. Megan leads by example and has a lasting impact on those who she teaches!

Taking part in ‘Training the Trainer’ has significantly helped with my development of a training program that I have rolled out across North Somerset Council. Drawing on the templates and techniques I learned, I have created training sessions tailored to my colleagues’ needs. These sessions have been uploaded into the council’s corporate training platform, and I now serve as an instructor. Over the past six months, I have delivered both live and recorded sessions, supported by weekly communications. This combination of formats has earned me a reputation for being not only knowledgeable but also genuinely helpful to my colleagues.

Looking back nearly a year after completing the course, I can say that the skills I gained from ‘Training the Trainer’ have allowed me to create something meaningful for my organisation, as I continue to expand my training program with additional modules. The course was not only helpful for myself, but also for many of my colleagues at North Somerset Council, as there were a large number of us who participated and have benefited from doing so.

I would recommend for anyone who delivers training in their workplace to take a short course to further expand your skills and knowledge, as this increase in your own confidence will help you to make a lasting impact across your organisation.

To look through our available adult courses, click here.

We are extremely excited to be launching our Cricket Academy for 2025!

The Cricket Academy is open to all aspiring cricketers across the college and will take place 15:30-17:00 Friday afternoons starting this Friday 24th January for our indoor preparation before our inaugural league season.

⏰ 15:30-17:00

📅 Every Friday

📍 Loxton Sports Hall

As part of our winter preparation, our squad has already taken part in the indoor regional championships where they played against teams from Richard Huish, Exeter and Truro. We are excited to see the squad grow and continue to work together across the 5-week indoor training week before we start our outdoor season in May.

During these sessions, you will get the chance to use our state-of-the-art indoor net facility which was installed in partnership with Somerset County Cricket Club and is home to part of the club's state school programme.

We look forward to welcoming you and developing your skills and techniques even further within these sessions.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the programme or joining the Cricket Academy, click here to hear from our student engagement manager Jack Gadd.