Talented students competing to be crowned the best in the UK

Talented students competing to be crowned the best in the UK

Four of our students are through to the national finals of the WorldSkills UK Competitions.

Shane Powell, (hairdressing), Danielle Hall,(personal fitness training), Nathan Parfitt, (3D Game Art) and Andrew Burgess (Mechanical Engineering CAD) will be among 500 students and apprentices competing at the three-day event taking place at the NEC, Birmingham, from November 21-23.

Well done to all four who secured their place in the finals after excelling in the national qualifiers which took place in the summer – they will now be aiming to win gold, silver or bronze in their chosen skill.

 What are WorldSkills UK competitions

The national finals of WorldSkills UK Competitions cover 70 different skills across industries including digital, technology, engineering and construction are at the heart of WorldSkills UK LIVE  – the UK’s largest skills, apprenticeship and careers event, attracting more than 70,000 spectators.

As part of the national final, students will have to expand on the skills they demonstrated at the national qualifier round and repeat the same challenges. They will be competing for the chance to be number one in their chosen trade and to represent the UK at the next WorldSkills Kazan event in 2021.

Richard Wheeler, WorldSkills UK co-ordinator for Coleg Gwent said, “Congratulations to all four students – their determination and hard work has paid off! Not only is it a fantastic achievement by them but it’s also a reflection of the excellent support they received from their tutors.

“This is an amazing journey for these students as it offers them the opportunity to prove their worth – it develops their technical skills and also employability skills such as problem solving, time management and communication and will undoubtedly accelerate their career. It’s great to see Coleg Gwent amongst the best in the UK.”

Hairdressing lecturer Stephanie Parrott said, “Shane was selected from around 150 -200  entries to take part in one of  four regional rounds held in the UK –  within this competition Shane had to complete a colour, cut and restyle, dressing a long hair style and a hair up style. He took first place to qualify in the national finals.”

Shane and our other finalists will be hoping to emulate last year’s success when Coleg Gwent was placed in the top ten in the medal league table.

Keep checking our website and social media channels for the finalists’ updates.

Find out more about the wide range of courses that we have on offer and apply now!