Some of our Travel and Tourism learners secured fantastic placements this year, giving them the chance to gain experience with organisations such as Bristol Port Company and with TUI Travel Agents.

At Bristol Port, eleven learners took part in a dynamic placement supporting the embarkation and disembarkation of cruise ship passengers. Working on shifts, the students assisted with security operations and provided visitor information services to passengers boarding the Ambition cruise ship, operated by Ambassador Cruises. As part of their experience, they also had the opportunity to tour the ship, offering a unique behind-the-scenes perspective of cruise operations.

The Bristol Port Company provided a comprehensive induction and training process to prepare learners for their roles. This experience proved to be a fantastic opportunity to develop key skills crucial to the cruise and wider tourism industries such as communication, cultural awareness, problem-solving, and professional conduct.

The Cruise Industry is a unit on the course, and this work experience provided learners with an inside look at the coordination between travel companies, cruise lines, port authorities and local tourism boards. Learners were able to see how they all work together and be a part of this. This is vital knowledge for a career in travel and tourism.

In addition, two learners undertook placements at the TUI Travel Agent branch in Weston-super-Mare. During their 37-hour placements, they shadowed experienced staff, sourced holiday deals, and created promotional signage for display outside the store. This hands-on experience offered valuable insight into a wide range of Travel and Tourism services, including holidays, package tours, cruises, destination weddings, and bespoke travel experiences.

Ben Melhuish, Head of Business and Tourism at Weston College, added, “Creating these links with local employers is imperative to the success for our learners on Travel and Tourism. Gaining real world experience in the operations of tourism in the local area helps us meet the skills needs of our employers, whilst also strengthening the transferable skills and employability of our learners when they finish their course. The learners have once again been a credit to their course and college and the feedback from has been extremely positive!”

Hannah Carstensen, lecturer in Business and Tourism at Weston College, shared her thoughts on the placement, “Work experience like this is highly beneficial for our Travel and Tourism learners as it provides practical exposure to the industry. The learners were able to gain an insight into the different Travel and Tourism products and services. This will help improve employability and helps learners build professional connections and references for future roles within the industry.”

A big thank you to the Bristol Port Company and TUI Weston-super-Mare for making this opportunity possible and providing an invaluable learning experience.

If you’re interested in applying to one of our Travel & Tourism courses, click here.

Last month, our Health and Social Care students hosted a student Careers Event where a range of healthcare and social care organisations were invited to Weston College to network with the students, giving the students the chance to present their work from this academic year.  

Throughout the event, the local care services organisation, Access Your Care, visited our learners and were extremely impressed by their hard work and maturity during their conversations. Based on this, the Recruitment Lead, Seb Farr, offered three students interviews with the company. 

These interviews were very successful, with all three students receiving job offers to become adult carers following their interviews. The students even received glowing feedback from the interviewer, complimenting their enthusiasm, knowledge, and passion. This is a credit to both the students and Weston College, reflecting their professionalism and hard work. 

Caitlin Honeywell, the students’ Health and Social Care lecturer at Weston College, said, “I couldn’t be prouder of Mel, Maddie, and Priscilla for securing employment with Access Your Care. Seeing them at their induction was such a heartwarming moment—it’s clear that they’re stepping into their roles with passion and purpose.  

This partnership is a fantastic opportunity for our Health and Social Care learners at Weston College, opening real pathways into meaningful careers. A huge thank you to Seb, whose unwavering support has been invaluable in making this collaboration such a success.” 

Throughout the academic year, Access Your Care have been attending every event, giving countless guest lectures into what they do around North Somerset, and engaging with our students to ensure they are fully informed of their options after college. This has created a great relationship with our students and the company and has formed fantastic opportunities for our learners. 

Seb Farr, Recruitment and Retention Lead at Access Your Care, expressed the importance of the partnership between Access Your Care and Weston College on the future generation of healthcare providers, saying: 

“As a care provider, we look for enthusiastic and knowledgeable people to join our team, those who really want to make a difference in the lives of others. Collaborating with Weston College is a huge benefit to us, the faculty staff not only teach the curriculum, but ignite passion in their learners, so that when they come to us to begin their careers, they are already excited to start having an impact on their local community. 

“The college listens to employers and what our needs are in potential employees, they also give us the opportunity to be a part of the learners' journey right from the start, by letting us engage with and run industry specific sessions with them. Weston College is not just teaching courses, they are setting their learners up for a bright future, so that when they join us, they have the skill set, knowledge base and passion to become a key part in the next generation of social care workers. We look forward to continuing to work with Weston College." 

Well done to Melanie, Maddie, and Priscilla for this fantastic achievement and good luck in your new role at Access Your Care! 

If you’re interested in applying to one of our Health and Social Care courses, click here.

Weston College Creative Arts are thrilled to announce a brand-new T Level for September 2025, the Media Broadcast & Production T Level. This is an exciting and dynamic course that will give students the chance to develop their practical and theoretical skills with industry professionals.

Media is a dynamic and fast-paced industry that is the centre of everything we do. Whether you’re interested in Film Studies, Directing, Presenting, Digital Marketing, Social Media Content Creating or anything else in that field, you will gain invaluable experience from an industry placement that you may not get from a classroom which will prepare you for a real-world environment.

This T Level will be led by Media lecturer, Addi Coath, who has a strong industry background in film, having completed a Film Production Undergraduate degree before progressing to a Masters in Global Film and Television. He has also produced many award-winning short films and has even set up his own Film Festiva, 90 Second Mayhem.

What is the Media T Level?

The Media Broadcast & Production T Level is a blend of classroom study and 315 hours of guaranteed industry placement over the two-year course. This will provide you with an in-depth understanding of working with a client where you will gain invaluable feedback and tips to improve your work.

During the course, you will master a wide range of media production techniques—from creating viral content for platforms like TikTok and Instagram, to producing professional-grade longform media such as documentaries, podcasts, and branded video content. You’ll also learn how to monetise your creativity, build a personal brand, and understand the business side of media—skills that are essential for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and in-house creatives alike.

Not only this, you will build relationships with clients and gain insight into working in a professional environment with the expectations that accompany this to prepare you for the workplace. These responsibilities will be transferrable between roles and will equip you for working with clients in the future.

Why choose the Media T Level?

The industry experience that students gain from the T Level will put their knowledge into practice and allow students to network with industry professionals. They will also build their personal portfolio and relationships with clients which will enhance their CVs and University applications for the future. 

Many employers look for industry experience as well as qualifications now, and this T Level can set students apart from others. It will improve many transferrable skills such as time management, organisational skills, communication and teamwork, as well as develop professionalism and maturity that is necessary for any role. 

If you’re interested in applying for the Media T Level in September, click here.