More than 400 young students and apprentices took part in the WorldSkills UK National Finals. Over 60 competitions were played out in November at 21 venues across the UK. The full list of winners is available here.
Full list of medallists Highly commended
Victories were celebrated across the regions and nations of the UK. Youngsters in Northern Ireland took gold in six competitions, including Industrial Robotics and Creative Media Make Up.
Young Scots triumphed in 10 events including Digital Construction and Mechanical Engineering, while Welsh students won an impressive 14 competitions, including Forensic Science and Fitness Training. Success in England covered Yorkshire to the South West and everywhere in between.
Competitors underwent a seven-month process of regional heats and intensive training before stepping up to pit their skills against the best of the best earlier this month.
The winners learned of their victory during a special live programme from Channel 4’s Packed Lunch studios, presented by Steph McGovern. Steph McGovern said: “This is just brilliant. Everyone should be jumping for joy, what an early Christmas present that is. They must have put in some graft to smash it like that.”
Ben Blackledge, Deputy CEO of WorldSkills UK, said: “These young people are a real inspiration. They are an example to us all and should be celebrated. To have excelled after such a difficult year shows that their dedication and skills are truly excellent.
“Skills are the lifeblood of every economy, creating high quality jobs, rewarding careers, and our competitions are proof that there is amazing talent in every part of the UK.”
You can also find out how your organisation and region performed (foundation skill organisation performance).
WorldSkills UK specialises in selecting and training young people to represent the UK at international competitions. The unique insights and global best practice it gathers as part of that work are shared with young people and educators across the UK.
Through its pioneering Centre of Excellence, WorldSkills UK now helps raise the bar of skills across the country by training the trainers and imparting invaluable tips and techniques.
