COURSES FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS
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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
Our chef apprenticeship scheme is helping to inspire the next generation of chefs, but everyone has to start somewhere! Here are our favourite simple kitchen hacks to help you cook up a storm...
Use dental floss to cut cakes
This might sound crazy, but dental floss is ideal for getting perfectly straight cuts in cake. Make sure you use unflavoured floss, pull it taut (make sure you use a piece wider than your cake) and then use it to cut straight down the cake. Voila!
Pre-make your favourite herb mix
If you have a go-to herb mix you like to use in your cooking a lot, save time by making ahead! Just combine your choice of herbs with oil in ice cube trays, then freeze. When you’re ready to use them, just pop out a cube and defrost it in the pan.
Know how to store your food
Some fruit and veg can make other produce in your fridge ripen – and then rot – much faster. Bananas, avocados, apricots, apples and other foods release gases that cause other foods to rot, so be sure to keep them away from other fresh fruit and veg.
Always make sure your oil is hot enough
A lot of dishes require heating up your oil before you can cook. A simple way of checking is, rather than looking for hidden signals, throw in a small cube of bread. If it fries up, the oil is ready and you can take it out without affecting the other flavours in your dish.
You don’t necessarily need a garlic crusher
Recipe asking for crushed garlic but you don’t have a crusher? Not a problem. If you crush the clove with the flat side of your knife, it’ll make it easier to dice up into smaller pieces. Crushing the clove can also help if you’re finding it difficult to peel.
Find out more!
If you're interested in cooking, why not enrol onto our chef apprenticeship scheme? You can find out more information by visiting our hospitality page.
Are you still unsure on what apprenticeship is best suited to you?
Take our quiz to find out which area you could consider a career in. If you need any help or support in choosing the right industry for you, click here.
Degree apprenticeships are an exciting new way to combine academic study with work-related, practical experience which is crucial for employers.
One of the degree apprenticeships that we offer at University Centre Weston (UCW) is the BSc (Hons) Degree in Digital and Technology Solutions. This has been developed with UWE Bristol, and delivers four of the pathways which have been developed for the Digital and Technology Solutions Degree including cyber security, software engineer, business analyst and data analyst.
To get the low down on this course, and how the apprenticeships are helping our students, we spoke with two of our apprentices…
Dave Rose, who studies the Digital and Technology Solutions degree-level apprenticeship at UCW, said: “With the degree apprenticeship I was given the opportunity to have one day out of work a week, while my pay and benefits stayed the same for my job that I had already been in for quite a while.
“This has given me a great chance to upskill and as long as I put the work in I can walk away with a full honours degree all with no student loan or debt. I think that is an absolutely incredible deal, it’s almost ridiculous and anyone who can should jump at that opportunity!”
Tommy Beaton, UCW degree apprentice, said: “My course covers a large part of IT and allows me to learn a lot of the skills required to do my job.”
There is a stigma around apprenticeships that apprentices don’t get stuck in with real life tasks, however this is not the case. Tommy said: “I am working for the College and I’m currently helping to develop online courses for distance learners. I am also building a coaching and mentoring course for our online platform, 'TIDE'.
“I've always wanted to be in a working environment as I find that's when I learn best, so to be able to work on real projects allows me to be creative and learn a lot too. It's an excellent opportunity and not one I was willing to turn down.
"This apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to develop my team working skills, instructional design and website development.”
It has become an increasingly popular choice to choose an apprenticeship over a degree in recent years with apprenticeship participation at a record high.
Interested?
You can find out more about becoming a degree apprentice over on the University Centre Weston website.
Degree apprenticeships are increasingly used to upskill existing employees using this industry approach.If you’d like more information about how degree apprenticeships can support your business please contact our Training Solutions team on 01934 411 594.
WHICH LEVEL IS RIGHT FOR ME?
