Greta from City of Glasgow College has been selected to represent the UK on the international stage in Visual Merchandising. Read her story.
Greta will be taking on the challenge of representing Team UK in the visual merchandising competition. It’s not the first challenge she’s taken on recently, having moved countries on her own, aged just 19.
“I’m from Lithuania so it was quite a challenge to move to Scotland to study at the City of Glasgow College. Despite learning English since an early age I felt like I had to learn it all over again having moved here! However, I’m really proud of my decision to move and make that big step on my own”
Greta is currently studying 3D Display Design and has learned “a whole range of skills from prop making to sketching to Photoshop, everything. Even if I don’t become a visual merchandiser, the skills will be useful in whatever career I go into.”
Having been introduced to WorldSkills UK competitions, Greta entered the Visual Merchandising competition. After the regional heats, she found herself competing in the National Finals at WorldSkills UK LIVE in November 2019.
“It was my first big competition so it was quite stressful at first. But the judges were really nice and I had other people from the college who supported me. Having people you know nearby just makes you realise it’ll all be fine.
“At the awards ceremony afterwards I was really nervous. Because the awards were in alphabetical order our announcement was near the end. When they said my name and that I’d won I was just so excited.”
Since then Greta was selected to be part of Squad UK where she has benefitted from support from dedicated training managers. “I’ve really enjoyed the training, despite the COVID-19 restrictions. I’ve enjoyed the Skype calls and learning everything in my own time. It was really exciting to be made part of the Squad because I didn’t want my WorldSkills UK journey to end.”
Greta credits the WorldSkills UK competitions with boosting “my self-confidence and time keeping. You can’t let yourself get stressed. Just stop, relax and crack on.” She also credits the additional training with helping her college work.
Two minutes before the call to hear whether she had made Team UK for EuroSkills Graz, she wondered whether it would be “a sad call or a happy call. In the end it was really nice. It didn’t really sink it at first.
“By January I think I’ll be ready. It’ll be interesting to see how other countries work and learn from the other competitors and their approaches. I can’t wait.”
EuroSkills Graz is currently postponed due to COVID-19.
