Following many inspiring nominations from across the UK, Rona Griffiths from Coleg Cambria has been selected as the WorldSkills UK Local Heroes Winner 2017.
Local Heroes are supporters of WorldSkills UK who drive their organisation’s involvement in our competitions, helping us to equip young people with lifelong, world-class skills. WorldSkills UK Local Heroes promote the benefits of competitions to students, apprentices and senior management. They also give their time to competitors, putting on additional training and offering pastoral and moral support.
Every year, thousands of young people are registered to take part in WorldSkills UK Competitions, but their participation is only possible through the support of committed individuals like Rona.
Rona’s tireless work to increase the number and quality of competitors from Coleg Cambria; the moral, pastoral and logistical support she offers the competitors; as well as her efforts to ensure that competitions and competitor successes are used to inspire all learners, made her a worthy winner.
Rona was presented with her WorldSkills UK Local Heroes trophy on 17 November, at The Skills Show, Birmingham. The five other Highly Commended Local Heroes were also there to receive their certificates.
All the WorldSkills UK Local Heroes are listed below. Congratulations to all our Local Heroes, and thank you for the valuable work that you do.
Winner of WorldSkills UK Local Heroes
- Rona Griffiths, Deputy Director Learner Experience and Enterprise, Coleg Cambria
Highly Commended WorldSkills UK Local Heroes
- Jane Benefield, Lecturer in Floristry, Warwickshire College Group (WCG)
- Darren Collins, Early Careers Manager, Airbus UK
- Rona Griffiths, Deputy Director Learner Experience and Enterprise, Coleg Cambria
- Christian Hatherall-Good, Lecturer in Construction, Brooklands College
- Sureshkumar Kamadchisundaram, Lecturer in IT, North East Surrey College of Technology (Nescot)
- Patrick Roberts, Lecturer in Electronics, Belfast Metropolitan College
WorldSkills UK Local Heroes
- Rob Allsworth, East Kent College
- Andrew Beardall, South Thames College
- Jane Benefield, Warwickshire College Group
- Chris Bennett, Exeter College
- Beth Billington, Pride Hairdressing and Barber Shop
- Matthew Booth, Electroimpact
- Mike Burdett, York College
- Brendan Burns, New College Lanarkshire
- Chris Carter, Stephenson College
- Adrienne Chick, Coleg Sir Gar
- Darren Collins, Airbus UK
- Linda Collison, Sussex Downs College
- David Cook, Havant & South Downs College
- Shaun Creech, Eastleigh College
- Martin Cribb, West Suffolk College
- Jeff Cross, Heart of Worcestershire College
- Pete Curtis, Briggs and Forrester Group
- Paul Doran, Southern Regional College
- Ben Elson, The Manchester College
- Paul Evans, ISEiW – Coleg Sir Gar
- Paul Fitzpatrick, Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd
- David Frizell, Riverpark Training
- Ian Goodair, Bradford College
- Maggie Grant, Southern Regional College
- Sandie Griffith, British Florist Association
- Rona Griffiths, Coleg Cambria
- Colin Hagan, Riverpark Training
- David Hall, British Gypsum
- Shaun Hallsworth, North Lindsey College
- Rob Harrison, Stoke on Trent College
- Christian Hatherall-Good, Brooklands College
- Tanya Heslip, Belfast Metropolitan College
- Sue Hope-Bell, Coleg Sir Gar
- Ian Hunter, New College Lanarkshire
- Mazher Hussain, Bradford College
- Pami Johal, North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College
- Huw Jones, Coleg Sir Gar
- Sureshkumar Kamadchisundaram, NESCOT
- Mehmet Karamanoglu, Middlesex University
- Louise Keevil, Natspec
- Norman Ley, Fife College
- Siobhan Lynch, Southern Regional College
- Nick Marshall, Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education
- David McCay, North West Regional College
- Alan McIlveen, CAFRE
- Tim Morris, Coleg Cambria
- Tracey Nadin, Kingston Maurward College
- Claire Nicholson-Clinch, ACER
- Christian Notley, Chichester College
- Pat Pearson
- Richard Pugh, EEF
- Stuart Raine, Shrewsbury Colleges Group
- Alex Reynolds, UTC Sheffield City Centre
- Patrick Roberts, Belfast Metropolitan College
- Kirsty Salter, Foxes Academy
- Chris Seaton, Leicester College
- Geoffrey Shaw, Cardiff and Vale College
- Barry Skea, New Lanarkshire College
- Ian Snedden, Hull College
- Joanne Timms, East Kent College
- Daytun Unitt, Coleg Cambria
- Jill Welsh, Riverside College
- Richard Wheeler, Coleg Gwent
- Kirsty Williams, Coleg Sir Gar
- Steve Williams, Reaseheath College, Cheshire
- Eamon Wilson, EAS Mechanical Ltd
- Martin Yates, SEMTA
