COURSES FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS
Your Future Starts Here
With hundreds of exciting courses, this is where your journey begins. From day one, you'll be supported, inspired, and on track to a rewarding career.
See SubjectsJoin a Career Excellence Hub and gain real-world skills, experience, and confidence to reach your goals.
Whether you're finishing school, changing direction, or learning English with our ESOL courses – we’ve got you covered.
Get started today – pick a subject and apply online in just 5 minutes!
Find Your Future Path
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 toasted the outstanding success of learners and employer partners at its annual Business Awards on Thursday (June 20).
Winners from a range of categories were presented with awards at the Oscars-style event at the Winter Gardens.
Guests – including students, employers and local dignitaries – enjoyed a three-course dinner and heard an inspirational keynote talk from Nick Elston, one of the country’s most renowned speakers on the subjects of anxiety, mental health and well-being.
Principal and CEO of Weston College Group, Dr Paul Phillips, who hosted the awards, said: “This year we received a record number of nominations and, while this made judging an unenviable task, it highlights the wealth of talent among our learners and the level of dedication and expertise within our employer network.
“It was fantastic to celebrate the many successes of our work-based learners, who show outstanding commitment to their programmes. They are truly a credit to the College and their employers.
“This year’s event is also notable as it fell between the opening of two significant new training facilities – the Construction Training Centre and Health and Active Living Centre. These state-of-the-art resources will provide huge benefits for learners, businesses and the community as a whole.”
It was an evening to remember for Thatchers Cider apprentice Molly O’Flaherty, 17 who was named Overall Learner of the Year and Professional Services Apprentice of the Year. Molly, who is completing a Customer Services Apprenticeship, was singled out for her maturity, work-ethic and passion to learn.
Molly said: “I am delighted to have won this award, as it shows how far I have come over such a short period of time with Thatchers.
“The support I have received from Weston College and Thatchers has been excellent, and I can’t wait to continue my development with such a great employer.”
Thatchers Cider made it a ‘quadruple’ celebration by picking up the Overall Employer and New Apprentice Employer of the Year awards.
Emma Cox, Training and Development Manager at Thatchers Cider, said: “At Thatchers we are committed to supporting young people and providing them with an opportunity to develop their skills.
“Being recognised for this award is testament to the hard work that we have put in, the dedication of the learners and the support we have received from Weston College in creating a bespoke programme to suit our business needs.”
The National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain (NCO) was recognised as Industry Placement Employer of the year. Sophie Lewis, Managing Director at NCO, commented: “The Industry Placement programme has had a really positive impact on NCO. As a charity we have benefitted from additional capacity and fresh perspectives through our placement who immediately became a fantastic addition to our team.
“We are thrilled to win this award and look forward to engaging with the programme further in the future.”
Business Award winners list:
Employer awards
- Small Employer of the Year – Ridgeway House
- Medium Employer of the Year – YMCA Barley Wood Day Nursery
- Large Employer of the Year – SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK
- New Apprentice Employer of the Year – Thatchers Cider
- Industry Placement Employer of the Year – National Children's Orchestras of Great Britain
- Work Experience Employer of the Year – Visit Somerset
- Traineeship Employer of the Year – University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
- Pre-employment Employer of the Year – OCS Group
- Disability Confident Employer of the Year – Weston Museum
- Inspiring Future Talent Employer of the Year – OnPoint Barbers
- Commercial Training Employer of the Year – Kings Heavy Haulage of Bristol)
- Overall Employer of the Year – Thatchers Cider
Learners awards
- Construction Apprentice of the Year – Patrick Hollritt, of John Mansfield Electrical
- Digital Apprentice of the Year – Sean Haberfield, of Osborne Clarke
- Early Years and Education Apprentice of the Year – Charlotte Redstone, of King Alfred School
- Engineering and Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year – Matthew Vicarage, of Ipeco Composites
- Hair and Beauty Apprentice of the Year – George Sheppard, of OnPoint Barbers
- Hospitality and Food Industry Apprentice of the Year – Chris Barry, of St Monica Trust
- Industry Placement Learner of the Year – Olivia Farley of Green Pastures Veterinary Centre
- Leadership Apprentice of the Year – Mark Cordy, of Bradbury House
- Professional Services Apprentice of the Year – Molly O'Flaherty, of Thatchers Cider
- SEND Learner into Employment Student of the Year – Jack Tiley, of Lasseter's restaurant
- Sport, Health, Lab Tech and Social Care Apprentice of the Year – Rebecca Twinney of Royal United Hospital, Bath
- Traineeship Learner of the Year – Holly Griffiths, of Ready Steady Go Nursery
- Transport and Logistics Learner of the Year – Harrison King, of Kings Heavy Haulage
- Overall Learner of the Year – Molly O'Flaherty, of Thatchers Cider
Did you know that we offer pre-employment training to people that don’t have qualifications, and may not have any experience?
We asked our Referral Advisor for the Pre-employment team, Emma Crandon, some questions to give a better understanding on what they offer.
Where are you based?
I am based at Weston College’s South West Skills Campus, but I also visit the Weston-super-Mare Job Centre every Tuesday, Clevedon Job Centre every other Thursday, and hold sessions at the local food bank as well.
What support do you offer?
We offer a wide range of courses, and they are free to people that are unemployed, receiving benefits, or in a job earning less than £16,009.50 per year. These courses are beneficial in many ways; you can upskill, build confidence, open up employment opportunities and most importantly – become more employable.
How can people access this support?
The support we offer, is very easy to access. Job coaches are aware of our courses, and they can always refer you to a course that will benefit you. I also visit the Job Centres, so feel free to come and say hello or book an appointment and we can chat about ways to support you.
If you would like to get in touch, you can call me on 07580857699 or email me, emma.crandon@weston.ac.uk.
Why should people get in touch and ask for support?
If you are unemployed and looking for work, we can help you to gain qualifications and the confidence needed to find a job. We try and run our sessions during school time, and we also offer one to one support.
What has been your highlight of the job?
When you see people that have been out of work for years, their confidence is usually really low and they feel like they are unemployable. Helping these people gain skills, confidence and progress into jobs, is a specific highlight of my job.
Is there anything that you would like to add?
If you are interested in any of our courses please get in touch with me, and I will be happy to help.
You can find out more about our pre-employment courses, by clicking here.
A Weston College Apprentice brewer saw his own bottled bitter served at Weston College ‘Oscars’ glittering awards evening attended by 300 people to honour apprentices and businesses.
Dean Masters, 19, scooped Entrepreneur of the Year at the College's Excellence in Business Training Awards 2013 event on Thursday (June 13th) at the Winter Gardens.
Dean, who works for Masters Brewery in Wellington, was also Highly Commended in the Hospitality Learner of the Year both for his creative skills and the way he has overhauled the independent brewery’s website.
He said: “It’s fantastic to win the awards and see my specially brewed 4.3 per cent bitter served up. I’ve also made a Hawaiian Dwarf 7.5 per cent beer brewed with fresh mangoes plus a locally sourced mint and chocolate Imperial Stout.”
The UK Apprentice of the Year, Emma Rogers, of Cheddar, also took Outstanding Achievement of the Year Award.
The 20-year-old mum-of-one won Gold for Great Britain at WorldSkills competitions and recently opened her own beauty business in Wedmore.
She said: “I wasn’t expecting this and I really believe in the power of education. My aim is to become a role model and inspire other young people to go for their dreams.”
Employer of the Year was awarded to Broad Street Hair who also took Hair and Beauty Employer of the Year.
Director Wayne Hill who set up the company with sister, Tracy Taylor, has six branches in North Somerset and is set to expand.
Wayne said: “It’s fantastic to win the awards and I want to thank Academy Manager, Charlotte Leach, who deals with the Apprentices. Charlotte has a degree in physics and biology but decided to work for Broad Street because she loves teaching and hairdressing.
“We have 24 Apprentices and we work very closely with Weston College so it’s great to be recognised by them. “
John Kennedy took Achieving Above All the Odds Award.
The 45-year-old was addicted to drugs and alcohol since he was 14 and only learned to read and write when he was 29.
He has now been clean for eight years and supports people with addiction at Weston’s Broadway Lodge centre.
He said: “I am very happy with my life now. For so many years I just took, now I spend my time giving and it’s very rewarding.”
Alliance Homes took Construction Employer of the Year and Compliance Manager, Ian Carpenter said: “We have 12 Apprentices and I love to see young people gain the skills they need to be successful for the rest of their lives.”
Apprentice Amie Johnson won Sale of Residential Property Learner of the Year working for Heritage Estate Agents.
The 20-year-old has excelled in her job by selling more homes in Yatton and Clevedon than any of the other qualified employees.
She said: “I love my job and one day I’d like to run my own business, it’s fantastic to win this award.”
The evening was sponsored by Honeyfield Property Services and n-ergy. Judges included Department for Work and Pensions Partnership Manager, Tim Cowley and N-ergy Executive Director Tracy Jones. Students from the Wessex Academy of Performing Arts entertained guests before a three-course dinner.
Keynote speaker, Director of Skills for South West England Local Enterprise Partnership, Jane Middleton who said: “I am delighted to work with Weston College and this is one of the most successful Local Enterprise Partnerships in the UK.”
Weston College Principal and Chief Executive, Dr Paul Phillips OBE thanked everyone attending and said: “The last 12 months have proved exceptional for us despite the challenging economic climate.
“We place great emphasis on partnerships with businesses, funding agencies, North Somerset Council and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, partner schools and universities.”
A Level students at Weston College achieved a 99.8 per cent pass and 20 per cent of Higher Education students achieved a first class honours degree – way above the national average of 14 per cent.
There has been a 113 per cent growth in Apprentices as the College’s Business Enterprise Centre works with more than 1000 employers from Gloucestershire to Cornwall.
There are more than 50 apprenticeship programmes and over 90 per cent go on to become permanent employees.
Dr Phillips added: “Our motto is ‘Creating Brighter Futures. At Weston College the learner comes first. This is assisted by the tremendous partnerships we've made with business, and efforts of learners themselves.”
List of Business Awards 2013
Students:
Accountancy Learner of the Year: Yannis Aravadinos
Beauty Learner of the Year: Rebecca Morley
Business Learner of the Year: Cara Hiscox
Care Learner of the Year: Sarah Porter
Childcare Learner of the Year: Elizabeth Williams
Customer Service Learner of the Year: Nicola Durkin
Hair Learner of the Year: Bethany Miller
Hospitality and Catering Learner of the Year: Steven Newman
Sale of Residential Property Learner of the Year: Amie Johnston
Principal’s Awards:
Entrepreneur of the Year Dean Masters
Student who has made the biggest impact Chris Dixon
Achieving above all odds John Kennedy
Outstanding achievement of the Year to Emma Rogers
Opportunity North Somerset Award: Delyth Meredith-Jones
Business Awards:
Small Business Employer of the Year: Meiji Techno
Large Business Employer of the Year: Logistics company DHL
Care and Childcare Employer of the Year: Little Bears Day Nursery
Construction Employer of the Year: Alliance Homes
Hair and Beauty Employer of the Year: Broad Street Hair
Sales of Residential Property Employer of the Year: Michael Gould Property Agent
Hospitality Employer of the Year: The Golden Lion
Teaching Assistant Employer of the Year: Mead Vale Primary School
Principal’s Awards:
Individual’s Commitment to Training: Jenny Evans, Shared Lives, North Somerset Council
Business’ Commitment to Training: North Somerset Council
Employer of the Year: Broad Street Hair
If you would like to view the pictures from this evening's event, please view them here.
WHICH LEVEL IS RIGHT FOR ME?
