Yesterday at Victoria Park Community Centre in Bridgwater, Weston College and The King’s Trust hosted a presentation event where learners from the Pathways for Young People programme had the opportunity to showcase their achievements over the past 12 weeks. The King’s Trust supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and those facing significant challenges, helping them to develop the confidence and skills they need to live, learn, and earn.

The event began with an inspiring talk from guest speaker Anna Carey, Head of Adult Education Projects at Weston College, who shared why the King’s Trust programme is so impactful for young people. Drawing from her own life experiences, she highlighted the profound difference the programme can make in shaping their futures.

The students then began their presentation, each taking a turn to share their personal experiences with the programme. They described how, in the first few days, they took part in various challenges and team-building activities designed to help them get to know one another. One memorable task involved building a structure from plastic straws and tape to protect a falling egg - a fun and creative exercise in collaboration. Impressively, both teams succeeded, with neither egg breaking or cracking!

The learners then spoke about their residential trip to Dartmoor, which many of the learners said was one of their favourite parts of the programme. Some of the activities they got up to at Dartmoor included orienteering, cooking breakfast, making a campfire, archery, abseiling and climbing and a Dartmoor Walk which had breath taking views! This residential trip gave learners the chance to build friendships and take on new challenges that pushed them beyond their comfort zones - an experience they described as being truly memorable.

After the residential, the learners took part in a Community Project, where they raised money for three local charities – Brunel Care, Arc, and Secret World Wildlife Rescue. To raise the money, the learners did a bake sale and a sponsored walk, where they raised £387.69!

One of the most impactful parts of the 12-week Kings Trust programme was the work placements the students did. Some of the local businesses the students worked at included a charity shop for Cancer Research UK, West Huntspill Primary School, Little Adventurers, Victoria Park Community Centre, Brunel Care, Sense Charity shop and Hinkley Point. Thank you to all these wonderful businesses for giving our learners vital work experience and increasing their confidence – many of the learners said they would love to go back to their work experience place in the future for paid employment!

As part of Bridgwater Blue Heritage, the learners worked with volunteers to plant flowers and shrubs on 3 rafts, which would then be put into docks to promote wildlife, biodiversity and fish breeding areas. The learners also worked with Seed of Hope, a support group to improve the community garden and build a raised bed for wheelchair access.

To conclude their presentation, the learners shared highlights from their visit to Müller, where they learned about the company’s history and took part in a creative challenge - designing a way to transport cows across a river using various materials. They also enjoyed an insightful tour of the factory production lines. Every learner presented with confidence and clarity, demonstrating impressive public speaking skills and doing a fantastic job in front of the audience.

Finally, representatives from each of the charities supported by the learners spoke about the positive impact their fundraising efforts had made, expressing heartfelt thanks for their help and support. To close the event, the learners were proudly presented with certificates to mark their successful completion of the Pathways for Young People programme.

Emma Hutchins, Head of Bootcamps and Pathways for Young People, said, “We are so proud of everything our learners have achieved over the 12-week programme – it is evident that they have all developed confidence within themselves whilst simultaneously learning skills that will help them through life, particularly skills in the workplace. This could not be done without the incredible King’s Trust, and our wonderful staff who have supported the learners throughout their time on the programme.”

Last week, 20 learners across a range of Creative Arts subjects came together for a week-long, sustainability-focused, visual skills ‘Nurture’ project. This was a collaborative project delivered by the North Somerset Production Arts company, Trigger, where groups of students from Fashion, Media, Art & Design, and Music worked together to bring a themed visual concept to life. 

Trigger is a company that aim to interrupt daily life by reimagining and reviving public spaces, as well as amplifying local voices and issues that are important to them and the community. They are made up of a diverse team of artists and creatives who want to push the boundaries of art by creating large-scale, live events and imaginative spaces. They have worked on a range of projects across North Somerset, and the ‘Nurture’ project with our students is just one of them. 

Throughout the week, students were split into three groups containing a mixture of courses in order to bring different skills to the group, each exploring a theme. Two groups explored the theme ‘Nature & Tech’ in different ways, with one group focusing on different seasons of a tree and the emotions they elicit, whilst the other looked into how nature and technology can work together to create a positive outcome. The final group chose something a bit different, deciding on the theme, ‘A Choice to Die’ where they discussed assisted living and created an emotional scene of a hospital room. 

The students were introduced to the brief of the project, outlining the creative challenge where they were asked to spend the week creating a live performance, installation, or exhibition based on a chosen theme. They had to run through marketing strategies including budgets, time management, possible future improvements, and their target audience to establish the thoughts and meanings behind their projects. 

The week began with students planning and brainstorming their ideas before beginning their designs and visiting a scrap shop to collect their chosen materials. They set off with creating their unique projects, each using their knowledge and expertise to create a collaborative, cross-disciplinary piece which was presented in the final showing on the last day of the project.

This collaborative project had many benefits to the students’ personal and professional growth. It allowed them to work with a range of industry professionals, as well as with other students who specialise in different mediums which enhanced their ideas.  They also got to explore and research different issues which gave them more awareness and engagement with the community.  

Additionally, students got to manipulate the powerful medium of art outside of a classroom setting, using it to create visual pieces that attempt to combat issues and make a meaningful difference in the community. It refines their techniques without outsider perspectives and boosts their confidence by getting them to present their work to others. 

Lynsey McKinstry, the Strategic Business Partnership Manager at Weston College, said: "Collaborating with local visionary production arts companies like Trigger brings our Creative, Media and Music curriculum to life in the most powerful way. Opportunities like the ‘Nurture’ project provide our learners with invaluable enrichment; immersing them in real-world, industry-led experiences that reflect the pace, creativity and cross collaboration required for careers in the creative industries.” 

“We are incredibly grateful to Phoebe Stringer and Natalie Skidmore at Trigger, along with our dedicated faculty teams for their work in guiding and inspiring our students throughout this intensive week. Projects like this underpin our Creative Careers Excellence Hubs; where talent is nurtured and where the creative professionals of tomorrow begin their journey into industry."  

A huge thank you to Trigger for spending a week with our students, developing their skills and helping them to create the meaningful projects that were shown to the public. Your efforts have positively impacted the students and given them practical experience of working with an external company. 

Well done to all the students who got involved, you created some fantastic pieces of work and represented Weston College with maturity and professionalism. 

If you’re interested in applying to one of our Creative Arts courses, click here. 

The Department for Education (DfE) has released the 2025-2026 Apprenticeship Funding Rules, setting out important changes that will impact how apprenticeships are delivered, funded, and assessed from 1st August 2025. Weston College can support you with these changes – which are the most significant since the funding reform in 2017.

To help you to understand how this could affect you, we have provided a summary of the key updates and their implications for employers and their new apprentices below. The new rules will apply to any apprenticeships starting on or after 1 August 2025; apprentices who began their programmes prior to this date will continue to follow the rules that were in place at the time they started.

Minimum Duration and Prior Learning: A More Flexible Model

From 1 August 2025, apprenticeships can now be as short as 8 months, provided they still meet key training requirements. This is a significant change from the current 12-month minimum, so what exactly will be changing?

• Prior learning must be assessed and recorded. Where prior experience shortens the programme, providers must show a reduction in both content and cost.
• The minimum eligibility for apprenticeship funding now stands at 8 months or 187 off-the-job (OTJ) training hours.
• If an apprentice has no prior learning, they must receive the full published OTJ training hours for that standard.
• Programmes can be delivered flexibly across any timeline (as long as they meet the 8-month minimum), without affecting OTJ hour requirements.

This change offers greater agility in designing apprenticeships tailored to individuals’ starting points, it also means robust initial assessment and clear documentation are more important than ever.

Simplification of Part-Time vs Full-Time OTJ Adjustments

DfE has removed the distinction between full-time and part-time apprenticeships when it comes to OTJ training delivery. This means we no longer need to automatically extend durations for part-time apprentices. Instead, we will ensure the planned training is realistic based on working hours.

Off-the-job training hours: New standard-by-standard requirements

The 20% rule is being phased out, marking a shift in policy. From August, each apprenticeship standard will have its own published minimum OTJ training requirement, removing the need to calculate hours based on working time.

These published figures apply only to apprentices with no relevant prior learning.

In practice, most of these figures remain close to 20% of normal working hours, but this standardisation brings welcome clarity and consistency.

We are here to provide support and guidance through these changes, so please contact apprenticeships@weston.ac.uk or speak to your Account Manager if you have any queries.

Foundation Apprenticeships

Foundation Apprenticeships: A new model for young people

Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs) are a new entry route for young people or those with additional needs. They come with unique rules and funding conditions and are an opportunity to reshape your workforce and support young people into an apprenticeship.

Who’s Eligible?

Young people aged 16-21. Some aged 22-24, including: Those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), Care leavers and Individuals in or recently released from prison.

Key Features:

• Apprentices can do a Foundation Apprenticeship at the same or lower level than a qualification they already hold, if it develops new knowledge, skills and behaviours.
• Maths and English remain required, but the assessment is not mandatory before completion (though encouraged if appropriate).
• Incentive payments: Up to £2,000 in total is available to employers for eligible learners, plus an additional £666 progression payment for those who go on to a higher-level apprenticeship.

Accelerated Apprenticeships

An accelerated apprenticeship is now officially recognised. These are programmes shortened by at least three months due to prior learning.

In Summary

The 2025-26 apprenticeships represent a shift toward greater flexibility, personalisation, and clarity. They support a more inclusive and responsive apprenticeship system, with key implications for:

• Initial assessment and programme planning
• OTJ training hour calculations
• Eligibility and funding for new Foundation Apprenticeships
• Clearer guidelines on what training activity is funded
• Impending assessment reforms

Remember: They must still meet the minimum 8-month duration and 187 OTJ hour requirement.

If you have any queries about the above information, please contact apprenticeships@weston.ac.uk or your designated Account Manager.