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. 

A Weston College apprentice is through to the finals of a prestigious skills competition after a stunning display of his catering-related work in London.

Max Bennett, a Level Three Supervisory and Leadership Apprentice , currently works at the Marco Pierre White Restaurant at the Doubletree at Hilton Cadbury House venue in Congresbury, North Somerset.

His hospitality skills and highly professional manner with the restaurant's customers made him an ideal candidate for the 'WorldSkills' event, the largest unique biannual competition in the world involving around 1,000 apprentices and students, aged 18 – 24 in 46 different skill areas.

Max, 18, from Clevedon, travelled to Westminster College in London for the regional finals, pitting his skills against fellow apprentices and students. He was asked to supervise in a professional restaurant setting, which included the serving of a flambéed banana dish as well as carving salmon, serving wine and interacting with the guests.

Max's skills and overall manner has now earned him a place in the WorldSkills UK final in Birmingham in November. If he wins that, he will be off to Rio De Janeiro next year as part of the UK squad.

Max said: “It was a real challenge and quite nerve-wracking. I know I made a couple of mistakes but I think the way I chatted with the customers got me through. I'm really looking forward to the next round and I'd love to be in the team that goes to Brazil.”

Max has worked at Doubletree at Hilton Cadbury House for 18 months. He said: “The staff and my managers have been really supportive, as have Weston College. They're all willing me on to get through the next round in Birmingham.”

Brian Howe, Weston College's Work Based Learning (WBL) Development Coordinator, said: “Max is a great guy and a real credit to his employers. His outstanding success at WorldSkills just proves what you can achieve if you put your mind to it, and at Weston College we'd love to recruit other potential apprentices who feel they could achieve the same.”

Weston College has spent more than £1 million improving and extending facilities in time for the new term.

The work has been carried out over the summer at the Knightstone, South West Skills (SWS) and Loxton Campuses and has been welcomed by students and staff as the new term gets underway.

There have been major changes to the Higher Education (HE) floor at Knightstone Campus, plus improvements to facilities for Hospitality and Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD) students. The SWS Campus on Locking Road has benefited from a major extension into an existing building that now houses the College's bespoke Motor Vehicle Workshop, related classrooms and superb IT facilities (including vehicle diagnostics).

Also new for the College are new Painting and Decorating and Multi-Trade areas and new bays for the popular Plumbing course, all based at the College's Construction and Engineering Centre of Excellence (CECE).

On the sixth floor of the Knightstone Campus a new HE Centre has been created. This architecturally designed area features the use of natural materials including oak doors and matching walkways. The new facility accommodates a new lecture theatre, an open study area, welfare / support rooms and new science labs.

The teaching kitchen for students with LDD, including wheelchair-friendly facilities, has been refurbished on the third floor of the building and the second-floor Grove training restaurant has seen the creation of improved kitchen facilities and changing areas.

A new photographic studio and an extended staff room has also been created at the College's Loxton Campus in Loxton Road.

Weston College Assistant Principal (Systems and Resources) Linda Burlison said: “The extensive work completed over the summer will benefit both learners and staff, underlining the fact that as a College we are prepared to make significant investment for the future.”