WorldSkills UK and Barking & Dagenham College, today (Thursday 23 January), hosted Deputy State Secretary, Mr Gergely Pálmai, from the Ministry of Culture and Innovation in Hungary. The Minister’s visit is part of WorldSkills UK’s commitment to international collaboration and skill exchange to drive excellence in technical education and apprenticeships.
During the visit, the Minister toured the facilities at the college, which is part of the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence, and met with senior leaders and learners. Run in partnership with NCFE, the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence focuses on collaborating with its members to share and apply international insights, supporting the development of learners to meet employers’ needs for a highly skilled workforce.
Parisa Shirazi, Director of Standards and UK Technical Delegate, WorldSkills UK said: “It was fantastic to welcome Mr Gergely Pálmai to Barking & Dagenham College to learn more about the Further Education and skills sector in the UK. The visit highlights the importance of international exchange and dialogue in raising standards and establishing the UK as a leader in delivering world-class education and training.”
Jason Turton, Deputy Principal of Curriculum and Quality, Barking & Dagenham College said: “We were honoured to welcome Mr. Pálmai and WorldSkills UK and share how our college is driving innovation and equipping students for future success. The visit highlighted the importance of skills training in addressing the needs of modern industries, boosting local economies, and creating life-changing opportunities for learners. High quality vocational training is at the heart of economic growth, and we’re proud to play a pivotal role in shaping the future workforce.”
The trip was organised by WorldSkills Hungary and the Minister also heard from Barking & Dagenham College on how it uses its participation in WorldSkills UK Competitions to develop and benchmark its learners. Most recently, Simonas Brasas a former student at the College was selected by WorldSkills UK to represent the UK in Industry 4.0 at WorldSkills Lyon 2024.
The visit highlighted how collaboration between WorldSkills UK and Centre of Excellence members, like Barking & Dagenham College, is helping to shape the future of technical education while driving standards to meet the demands of the global workforce.
