Recently, our Automotive learners and staff took an exciting trip to the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre (NEC) to attend the Autosport International 2025 show. This annual event is Europe’s largest motorsport show and provided an unforgettable experience for our learners, offering a unique opportunity to explore every aspect of motorsports and celebrate the 75th anniversary of Formula One (F1). 

Autosport International is a fantastic gathering for motorsport enthusiasts, racers, and professionals, showcasing the incredible cars, professional drivers, and behind-the-scenes engineering and technology. The event featured four shows, each tailored to highlight different aspects of automotive: the Motorsport show, the Performance show, the Engineering show, and the Live Action Arena show. 

The Motorsport Show brought together a variety of racing cars, drivers, and championships, from karting and off-roading to elite series like F1, Le Mans, and the FIA World Rally Championship. It also provided a platform for 30,000 industry professionals to connect, trade, and explore the latest innovations in motorsport. 

The Performance Show displayed performance cars, tuning, and modifications, featuring car showcases, live driveway displays, and interactions with industry-leading influencers with an interest in high-performance vehicles. 

The Engineering Show focused on the trade side of motorsports, offering a space for suppliers, buyers, and professionals to network and collaborate, whilst emphasising the technical and commercial aspects of the industry. 

The Live Action Arena delivered an amazing 45-minute experience with stunts, drifting, display races, and feature performances in a large indoor arena. Learners were immersed in the action as they witnessed the cars’ capabilities through in-car cameras and saw the driver’s perspective in real-time. This hands-on experience brought the excitement of motorsport to life in a unique way. 

The celebration of 75 years of Formula One was a highlight of the event, with displays of memorabilia and stories from some of the most iconic moments in F1 history. This gave the learners a deep appreciation for the evolution of motorsport and the technological advancements that have shaped the automotive industry.  

The visit provided an educational and professional experience but also entertainment for everyone, introducing learners to the intricacies of motorsports engineering, safety innovations, and the technology behind iconic cars. Additionally, the learners had the chance to network with industry professionals, racers, and engineers, gaining valuable insights and inspiration for their future careers.  

If you are interested in joining one of our Automotive courses, click here. 

Welcome to the Weston College Careers & Employability Team Monthly Blog!

Dear Parents and Carers,

We’re excited to bring you the latest edition of our Careers & Employability Team Monthly Blog! Each month, we’ll provide updates on events, celebrate successes and how we offer support for all our learners at Weston College. You will also find key dates for upcoming events for you and your young person to get involved in. You can get in touch with the team on cet@weston.ac.uk for all Careers & Employability and T-Level Industry Placement support.

The Careers & Employability Team

Last week, our Uniformed Protective Services (UPS) learners received an extremely impactful guest lecture from Firefighter Richard Welch, the Lambeth Borough Commander at the time of the Grenfell Tower fire.  

Our UPS learners often aim to work in the armed forces, whether this is as a Police Officer, a Firefighter, in the Royal Army, or the Royal Navy. These are dedicated and highly disciplined careers and any first-hand experience provides our learners with a more in-depth understanding of the impact that their work can have on the community. 

Richard Welch began by outlining his experiences and progression within the Fire and Rescue profession. Richard joined the London Fire Brigade in 1996, progressing through many roles around London before finally becoming the Assistant Chief Fire Officer for Service Delivery Support at Avon Fire and Rescue Service. 

During the time of Grenfell Tower, Richard was the Lambeth Borough Commander and the head of response to this major incident. He outlined his experience from the night of the Grenfell Tower fire on the 14th June 2017 to the learners, including the procedure and protocol the firefighters followed, the number of citizens they managed to rescue, the horrendous conditions inside of the tower, and how quickly the fire spread throughout the building. 

Steve Brawley, one of our Protective Services lecturers, recognised the powerful impact of this employer engagement experience for both the learners and the staff, saying “students who, for some, are months away from their own progression into the uniformed protective services, got to hear first-hand insights into the responses and experiences of Firefighters during one of the most challenging national Major Incidents of recent times.” 

Nicola Stent, another Protective Services lecturer, also expressed her gratitude to Richard Welch, saying “I was incredibly moved by the first-hand accounts Richard shared with our learners and am so proud of the engagement, co-operation and mature questions from our learners.  

The bravery demonstrated from the emergency responders on the scene at Grenfell Tower was heroic. We are so very grateful for Richard’s insight and personal strategies of how to cope in such adverse circumstances.” 

The learners came away from the guest lecture feeling that their ambitions to enter a protective service career and make a difference was achievable and realistic with lots of advice on how to succeed and thrive in any upcoming challenges. 

Thank you to Richard Welch for taking the time to share his first-hand experiences of this horrific incident and the heroic and courageous risks him and his team take within their profession. 

If you’re interested in applying to one of our Protective Services courses, click here.