Rona Griffiths Learner Experience & Enterprise Manager, Coleg Cambria
Q. What impact has the programme had on the college as a whole?
A. What I’ve been able to observe is the greater level of confidence in the educators themselves and the desire to progress. At first they were thinking “can I do this?” and now they are thinking “I want more of this” and they are enjoying sharing their knowledge with others.
The impact has been a re-energising of Teaching & Learning. Educators have more of a willingness to reflect on what they do and take chances.
Martin Hoskin, Head of Teaching, Learning & Quality, Alton, Havant and South Downs College
Q. How have you implemented the WorldSkills UK pedagogical approaches into curriculum and quality processes across college?
A. The concept of ‘competence to excellence’ has also been applied to professional development resulting in the theme of ‘back to basics’, in which teachers have been asked to reflect upon some of the fundamental aspects of teaching and learning and how we can ensure we get these right when planning, preparing and delivering a lesson. Once competence has been achieved the intention is then to move onto being ‘excellent’ and developing individual specialisms, which provides greater purpose to ongoing CPD and personal development.
Sir Paul Philips, Principal and Chief Executive, Weston College
Q. How do the learnings from the programme support learners when they go into industry?
A. Through the alignment of our Careers Excellence Hubs and WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence, we have worked in collaboration with our endorsing employers to design challenging pressure tests which advance the technical, academic and employability skills that our employers prioritise.
Many of our employers have also taken a key interest in the implementation of our pressure tests, having employers score the learners has offered wider progression opportunities through individualised employer feedback.
Learners who have been exposed to the WorldSkills UK methodologies have found they have been able to secure employment against other applicants largely due to the fact that they can handle the pressure of the interview and trade test allowing them to showcase excellence.
