Charley, Digital Media Production bronze-medallist and Skills Champion, explains what she enjoyed most about competing and her hopes for the future.
Charley had an early insight into wanting to follow a career in digital media production. “When I was studying for my GCSEs one of my teachers inspired me by showing me that media and film production is a possibility as a career; that I didn’t need to have loads of money or be born into it, I could work to achieve the career that I want.
I first heard about the WorldSkills UK Competition through one of my college lecturers at the College of West Anglia, who encouraged me to take part. I went through the regional heats and competed in the National Finals at the NEC in 2019 where I won a Bronze Medal in Digital Media Production.
Asked what she enjoyed most about taking part in WorldSkills UK Competitions Charley says, “I most enjoyed the team that I was working with. Throughout the day you are working together seeing everyone’s abilities and then once the competition day is over you can just hang out and talk, getting to know each other.”
There have been great advantages for Charley in taking part:
“I have learned to be more confident in my abilities and in improving my inabilities. Being able to talk to people more confidently and being better organised with my work at college and in my day-to-day life has been something else I have benefited from.”
Charley’s focus is very much on the future building on her success so far, “After I finish college I am going to go to university where I will be studying television production and I will then go into an apprenticeship or straight into the industry.”
A Skills Champion since the start of 2020 Charley is keen to help other young people to plan their career paths:
“I want to inspire young people to develop their skills and work towards a goal, and I think this can happen by talking to students before they have finally decided their options.”
