Happy New Year from WorldSkills UK! We’re excited for what 2025 holds.
Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive WorldSkills UK, said: “As we look ahead to 2025, I’m excited about the impact we will have on teachers and young people across the UK. By using what we have learned from our partners around the world I believe that we will continue to provide innovations and insights that give educators the tools to develop high quality skills for the workforce of the future.
2024 was an incredible year for WorldSkills UK, filled with outstanding celebrations of UK Skills. Highlights included the National Finals held in Manchester, where 402 competitors showcased their talents across 46 skills, and Team UK’s remarkable performance in Lyon, finishing in the top ten countries in the world. But also a year where we worked with over 7,000 educators to embed our world-class methodologies in technical educations across 140 colleges and ITPs across the UK, and in doing so benefited over 10,000 students and apprentices.
Last year also saw WorldSkills UK continue to champion the importance of skills excellence, this included hosting our fifth International Skills Summit with University Vocational Awards Council, launching key reports like Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity through Skills Excellence and Skills for Success in the UK Screen Industries, and the chance to celebrate remarkable individuals making a real difference through our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Heroes Awards.
It was also a year that saw amazing support from across UK governments, with visit from Ministers, Cabinet Secretaries and Senior Civil Servants across the 4 nations showing the importance of both need to celebrate skills, but also the need to invest in the policy and pedagogy that is vital to delivering world-class skills for young people and employers.
So looking ahead building on this amazing foundation, we’re more ambitious than ever to ensure as many young people as possible can access world-class teaching and assessment, and that employers are able to play an active role in developing the talent they need. We’re committed to respond to the overwhelming demand for these developments and ensure even more educators benefit from the latest skills and methodologies through our Centre of Excellence and Learning Lab, thanks to the support of key partners such as NCFE, UK governments, and industry partners.
In 2025 we will also be hosing the National Finals in Wales for the first time and will be preparing once again to represent the UK in Herning 2025 and Shanghai 2026. It will also be a year that will continue to be underpinned by the need for increased partnership, to work together to achieve these shared goals, so if you would like to talk about how you can get involved then I’d love to talk to you.
Together with our partners across the UK, we’re continuing to build a world-class skills system that delivers for young people, educators, and employers.”
