T Levels are a brand new, 2 year qualification which is being launched in September 2020 and at Weston College we are offering the Digital T Level.

So if you’re leaving school in May, here are 4 reasons why we think you should consider a T Level:

Get a head start on your career

T Levels give you the opportunity to gain work experience (a minimum of 45 days) with a local employer, so you can work on real life projects and gain new skills. When you’ve completed your studies, you will stand out from the crowd having industry experience.

Gain a recognised qualification

Just like A Levels and apprenticeships, T Levels will give you the opportunity to gain a nationally recognised qualification.

Once you have completed your qualification you can then choose to study further at university, with a higher level apprenticeship or go straight into employment.

Gain a qualification created with employers

Unlike the traditional A Level route, T Levels have been designed with businesses across industries, to prepare you for working life.

Some of the businesses that have worked on T Levels include Fujitsu, Bank of England and the British Army.

Learn your way

T Levels will take place in the workplace and classroom, which will allow you to learn your way.

You can find out more about our T Level offering by clicking here.

Generous staff at Weston College’s Training Solutions are donating money to charity this year rather than sending Christmas cards to one another.

A decision was made by the staff to place one card to all staff members on a communal noticeboard and then make a donation to international charity ‘World Vision’.

Training Solutions, who are one of the largest training providers in the South West, offer a diverse Apprenticeship programme. It was therefore decided that all monies raised would go towards buying ‘Woman’s Apprenticeship’ gifts from the charity.

These gifts pay for less privileged women to learn new skills, from handicrafts to tailoring and baking, and will help unemployed women find a job and earn an income for their family.

High unemployment is hitting women particularly hard in third world countries. They are struggling to gain marketable skills and losing out on opportunities even when they have the qualifications and ability to do the job. This project aims to change this.

The Women’s Apprenticeship, which can be purchased from www.musthavegifts.org, is just £18, and the Training Solutions team are hoping to buy as many of these as they can this year.

World Vision ‘must have gifts’ are special because they are genuinely needed. Other gifts include mosquito nets, birth certificates, chickens and scholarships for children.

Training Solutions offers a wide range of training including Apprenticeships and NVQs, the majority of which are delivered in the workplace. They currently work with more than 1000 businesses and organisations supporting them to achieve significant improvements in overall performance. They achieve this through helping organisations maximise the performance of one of their most expensive resources - their people.

For further information please call Training Solutions on 01934 411594.

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.

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.