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
The Construction Training Centre has been open for just over four months, and is already proving a popular destination for construction firms.
The centre was developed in response to the growing demand for a trained and skilled construction workforce, and is the first of its kind in the region.
It isn’t focussed on providing training for one industry, but is instead a ‘one-stop shop’ that offers training courses in:
- Plant
- Health and safety
- Scaffolding
- Highways and groundworks
- Driver training
- Warehousing
The courses are developed around employers and their needs, to ensure that the centre provides relevant and effective training.
The facility is impressive, and boasts all the equipment you would expect to find on a construction site.
You can see images from the centre below.
Weston College is the top choice for school leavers and their parents.
As our results and achievements over the last academic year show, we provide the learning, experience and life skills that young people need to succeed.
If you choose us, your son or daughter will have all the resources and opportunities they need to grow as a person, feel happy and secure, and enjoy College life to the maximum.
The 2018-19 year brought another fantastic set of results for the College’s 16 to 18-year-old full-time students.
A Level students secured an outstanding 99% pass rate, while achievement rates across the board for 16-18-year-olds was 85% – significantly above the national average.
At Weston College we work to the maxim ‘careers not courses’. We understand that this is simply one phase in the educational journey, which is why our courses aim to prepare students for their next step – whether that’s a further course or the world of work. Extended work and industry placements also feature prominently in the curriculum of all courses.
We also work closely with local employers to tailor courses to their needs and provide them with the workforce of tomorrow.
As David Lees, CEO of Bristol Airport, said: “As a business with ambition and opportunities for exciting careers it is fantastic to be able to work in partnership with a college to develop future talent.
“The constant evolution of Weston College to deliver a successful and expanding range of skills and talented students is a shining example of best practice in our region.”
With that in mind, it’s encouraging that 95% of our full-time learners moved on to employment or further learning, with 77% of Level 3 students progressing to university. And, more than a third of those Level 3 students chose to stay with us and study a course at University Centre Weston.
Young people and their parents are voting with their feet, as applications from school leavers have continued to rise year on year – we’re clearly the provider of choice for academic and technical learning. The feedback clearly shows we’re repaying this faith, with 94% of students telling us they’re satisfied with their Weston College education.
And we understand that life at Weston College is about more than timetabled studies. Wherever you look across the College, you will see young people engaged in wider curriculum activities or enrichment opportunities – whether that relates to sport; leisure; the Students’ Union; trips; residentials; college, regional or national awards; shows; or social events.
But while we’re delighted with these achievements, we’re constantly seeking to improve every aspect of the education we provide.
Just this year, we opened the doors to two new state-of-the-art facilities – the Construction Training Centre, and Health and Active Living Skills Centre – and in 2020 we’ll be developing a £1.4 million Animal Management facility in partnership with Puxton Park.
The College is also at the forefront of Government plans to revolutionise technical qualifications. We’re one of just 54 providers selected to launch the new T Levels – the technical equivalent to A Levels – and will deliver the Digital T Level from September 2020; two years before the full roll-out.
What’s more, the College has also been awarded Centre of Excellence status for maths by the government. This is a huge boost for our maths provision and means we’ll be leading the way in designing new teaching approaches, developing high-quality resources and building teachers’ skills.
Two graduates from the BA (Hons) Graphic Design, run in partnership with Bath Spa University, have taken up graduate designer roles with Dyson.
Amelia Hurrell and Laura Hughes both graduated with First Class Honours in 2013 and had been working as freelance designers as well as taking up intern positions - Amelia at Sky Creative, having won the New Designers Sky Award 2013, and Laura at Proctor and Stevenson, a prestigious web design company.
Thanks to the strong reputation of the College’s degree provision in Graphic Design, Victoria Norcross, Programme Co-ordinator for FdA and BA (Hons) Graphic Design, was contacted by Ben Tappenden, Creative Head of Graphics and Packaging at Dyson and asked to recommend some graduates for the role of Junior Designer. Amelia and Laura were both successful at interview.
Ben said: “The candidates from Weston College were strong in interview and had encouraging portfolios. Laura and Amelia are competent and exciting graduate designers with a good sense of fun, enthusiasm, confidence, professionalism and ambition in abundance.”
Victoria said: "The achievements of these students are testament to the excellent work-based opportunities they had whilst studying at Weston College. It's great to see them being so highly regarded and working in high-profile companies so soon after graduating."
Amelia said: “The BA (Hons) in Graphic Design degree at Weston College was the perfect springboard for me. It provided the necessary skills and experience - through work placements and communication with local design agencies - to be successful at interview and secure a graduate job with Dyson. I’ve really enjoyed my time at Dyson so far, having been involved in a wide range of projects that have allowed me to exercise the skills I learnt at the College, and I can’t wait to see what challenges await me in the future.”
Laura said: “Studying at Weston College equipped me with skills and real world experience to give me the best possible start to my career. If I hadn’t been to Weston I doubt I could have gained my position at Dyson. Since starting in my role I have been involved in a wide range of really interesting projects and been through a great graduate induction programme. It’s amazing to work for such a big company that is so well respected and always at the cutting edge of design."
WHICH LEVEL IS RIGHT FOR ME?
