Students bring home medals from UK national final
The WorldSkills UK national final is a culmination of intense regional qualifiers that have taken place across the country in a range of categories, from restaurant services to joinery.
At Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion, Evanna Lewis won a UK silver in the Foundation Skills: Health and Social Care category, Elara Jones won bronze in the beauty therapy category, Caitlin Meredith won bronze in culinary arts and Shannon Brown won bronze in restaurant services.
Over 400 apprentices and students have taken part in the competition which was held in Manchester alongside the SkillBuild National Final for construction trades which was held in Milton Keynes.
The medallists and finalists of WorldSkills UK and SkillBuild were honoured at the prestigious Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on Friday, November 22.
Over 40 skills areas were represented this year, ranging from accountancy, digital games art, aircraft maintenance and cyber security.
Welsh competitors have been supported by the Welsh Government funded project, Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales, which is a team dedicated to encouraging Welsh competitors to take part in Skills Competitions Wales which led to this national final.
Some students will be eligible to progress further within WorldSkills UK and many Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion have progressed to qualify to train for UK squads who compete internationally. From this experience, they are offered opportunities to gain valuable insights and experiences within industry on a particularly high level.
Andrew Cornish, CEO and principal at Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion said: “I am delighted that our talented learners have represented their college and Team Wales at the national finals of the vocational skills competition in Manchester and Milton Keynes.
“They have worked so hard to prepare for these competitions, which require the highest of practical, vocational standards to be met.
“Whether becoming medallists or being selected to compete, they will be better served to move into employment with the knowledge and skills that they have gained as a result of this challenging process.
“Skills competitions are crucial for personal development and showcase the very best of vocational education and training that Wales produces in a range of vocational disciplines.”
