Weston College of Further and Higher Education are taking a major step to enhance their already highly successful delivery of Higher Education. 

The College has submitted two key bids to the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which, if successful, will bring in bespoke centres for high technologies and professional services to the region.  Both these centres will be built in Weston-super-Mare and will provide a major catalyst for business regeneration.

If the bids are successful there is an opportunity for state-of-the-art facilities in both disciplines and a growth in students studying and living in North Somerset.  The Professional Studies Academy is a response to employers for an existing demand for specific training in a wide range of disciplines.  This includes law, accountancy, business, management, justice services and many more.  Simultaneously the High Technology Centre will include bespoke facilities for composite engineering, digital media, computer-aided design and games design.

The College bids have been supported by North Somerset Council and a range of other agencies.  There is a joint ambition to have 1,000 undergraduates in Weston-super-Mare within the next twenty four months, with a longer term ambition to grow this provision significantly in conjunction with other key partners. 

Both the College, Council and others are aware of the potential for the future which will build upon the significant success already achieved.  In January this year the College received the highest accolade from Ofsted when it gained Outstanding status for its provision.  This made the College the very first in the South West under the new Ofsted framework to gain such recognition.  In addition, almost 100 per cent of graduates from the degree courses progressed to employment within months of graduating.  The 2014 statistics indicated that more than 20 per cent achieved first class honours, significantly above the national average for the UK. 

Dr Paul Phillips, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “The West of England LEP has set a dynamic standard for skills, development and economic regeneration.  Our bid is massively important for both the town and the region.  If successful, the LEP will in reality provide the leverage to bring state of the art facilities to the area.  In an ideal world I would hope that such facilities would not only effect major change but could provide community resources for use by everyone.”

Cllr Nigel Ashton, Leader of North Somerset Council, said: “Higher Education provision is vital to the growing employment needs of Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset and the wider West of England area.

“We are working closely with Weston College to ensure they can deliver their ambitions for a greater emphasis on learning in the town centre which will in turn provide a catalyst for further regeneration opportunities.”

Talented Weston College student Ben Debreceni left Hungary for the UK aged 15 three years ago. Now he is a finalist in South West Student Chef of the Year competition. 

Ben, 18, of Clevedon, already beat scores of competitors who fought for a semi-finalist place in front of judges including top chef Michael Caines MBE, and  will battle it out at Exeter College on October 27^th.

Ben’s culinary expertise in the semi-finals saw him create two delicious set dishes for examiners in just 90 minutes.

The first was butter poached whiting with razor clams, beurre blanc, garlic-infused spring onions, radishes and baby beetroot and the second was pan-roasted pork fillet with potato tubes, texture of cauliflower, heritage carrots and red wine jus.

For the final he will have to create two new dishes with cod and lamb neck fillets as the main ingredients.

Ben said: “The experience of competing was amazing, and I never thought about getting into the final. Credit has to go to all my College lecturers for their teaching, support and faith in me.”   

Senior Weston College Chef Lecturer and mentor to Ben, Jos Wellman said: “Ben is an outstanding student with a genuine passion for food. He produces consistently wonderful food that tempts the eye and the palate.

“His level of professionalism shines through and he is a credit to himself and   to the College, especially as he only started learning English three years ago.”          

While Ben is training at Weston College, he has also been accepted into the Casamia Academy in Bristol. The Michelin Star chefs there have teamed up with the College to launch a specialist hands-on teaching facility.

Lecturer Jos, who has cooked for Royalty, Presidents and celebrities including her Majesty the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Frank Sinatra, Bond actors and Bon Jovi as well as US Presidents Carter, Reagan, Clinton and George Bush’s Senior and Junior, added: “If Ben carries on like this the world is his oyster. Cooking is an amazing career if you love creating wonderful food.”

The College is now taking bookings for its on-site refurbished Grove Restaurant offering  three-course lunches on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and dinners Tuesday and Wednesday from as little as £8.

The second-floor accessible restaurant can also be booked out privately for groups of 20-plus.

To book please call 01934 411 422 or email groverestaurant@weston.ac.uk

Four Weston College apprentices have been recruited by a high-growth local company which launched with three staff in 2007 and now employs over 40 people.

Purplex Marketing, based on Oldmixon Crescent, has taken on four IT apprentices as part of its ambitious growth strategy.

College Apprenticeships Recruitment Coordinator James Wilmot said: “Apprenticeship applications have risen considerably because businesses like Purplex are seeing benefits.

“They can mould someone to the company's needs and put them at the heart of their business. More than 90 per cent of our apprentices are offered permanent jobs by their employers at the end of their training programme.”

Purplex Marketing, part of the Ascot Group, was founded by Andrew Scott and is one of the fastest growing marketing technology companies in the UK.

 It plans to double its 40-strong staff by 2017 in areas such as web design, search engine marketing, app development and social media.

Andrew said: “I am delighted to welcome the four new apprentices from Weston College.

“Our digital marketing division continues to grow rapidly as we attract clients locally and from across the UK and Europe.

“It is essential we develop our team to keep pace with growth and new technologies, and introducing Apprenticeships will help train the next generation of digital marketing experts.”

More than 90 per cent of Weston College apprentices were offered permanent jobs by their employers at the end of their training programmes – a 46 per cent increase in filled jobs compared to last year.

The College currently supports 1,200 Apprentices and works with 1,400 employers. It is the biggest facilitator of Apprenticeship programmes in the region.

Its new Training Solutions, based at the South West Skills Campus on Locking Road provide businesses with relevant and flexible training programmes.

The College offers a wide programme of Apprenticeships to people aged 16 and over with adults looking for a new career via training or an alternative to A Levels.

The College's Apprenticeship programme can be studied at Levels 2, 3 and 4 and learners can progress through these levels while continuing to work alongside experienced and skilled staff.

The 50-strong team of work based learning Assessors work with more than 1400 organisations in the South West.

The College was also the first in the South West to launch the Higher Apprenticeship Scheme enabling employees to gain university level qualifications while working in areas such as accountancy, care and business.

Although apprentices receive workplace training, they access the same College benefits as students including bus passes, gym sessions, discounted driving lessons plus hair and beauty treatments.

For more information about taking on an Apprentice contact the Training Solutions Team on 01934 411 594.