UK Students Offer World Class Show

We've reached a really exciting stage in the lead up to the competition and have just announced 110 colleges and training providers from across the UK who have been hand picked from hundreds of applicants to showcase the best of the UK Skills and talents to a global audience at WorldSkills London 2011 in October.

Representing the whole of the UK the final list of Showcase colleges and training providers were chosen from hundreds of applicants. They represent the highest level of skills talent in the UK and will help to provide an exciting and varied event programme as part of WorldSkills London 2011.

The selected Showcase colleges and training providers have devised innovative and highly visual fun and engaging showcases giving both staff and students an opportunity to shine in front of a huge national and international audience.

Some of the feats on display at the event will include historical costume displays from South Thames College and demonstrations of a multi-touch surface computer developed by IT students at Farnborough College.

A full list of the Showcase Organisations is now on our website.

'Making the Games': A new website by Edge

Edge, the premier supporter of Squad and Team UK, has just launched their new website 'Making the Games'. The website lets young people go behind the scenes of preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games. By following a group of professionals who are passionate, ambitious and successful, but also very practical; Edge hopes to change perceptions and raise the stature of practical and vocational learning in the UK.

WorldSkills London 2011 is delighted to be featured on this website as, in addition to creating an unforgettable skills experience at the Event, we also would like to help inspire people to see vocational education and skills leading to a valuable and worthwhile career choice.

Edge is an independant education foundation. It is dedicated to raising the status of practical and vocational learning, so that all young people have the opportunity to achieve their potential, and the UK's future workforce is equipped with the skills to be successful in the modern economy. Edge believes that 'learning by doing' is as important as academic learning, and that there are many paths to success.

Why are skills important?

Simon Bartley, CEO of UK Skills explains why vocational skills are important:

Hello, I’m Simon Bartley, CEO of UK Skills, of which WorldSkills London 2011 is a wholly owned subsidiary. In this post, I want to take the opportunity to explain why we are so passionate about skills here at 36 Queen Street.

Both national and international skills competitions offer significant benefits to all those involved. They develop young people’s confidence, as Oliver Clack, who represented the UK in Stonemasonry at WorldSkills Calgary 2009 explains“It is an honour to be among the top in the UK. The thought of it makes me so proud of myself.”

They also encourage young people to develop their skill base and therefore prepare them for future employment. These benefits are even more apparent in difficult economic times like today, when a highly skilled workforce is essential to compete in the global market place.

Through skills competitions, we can work together to lift standards of training and performance, promoting world class skills and international competitiveness. Faced with continued economic uncertainty, it is essential we don't give up on training and keep encouraging new talent. It's competitions like WorldSkills that already are and can continue to help us achieve this.