Oldham College gears up for WorldSkills UK finals

Oldham College is gearing up to host nine prestigious WorldSkills UK National Finals at the ‘Skills Olympics’ this week.

This exclusive showcase of skills excellence is set to get underway at the Rochdale Road campus today (Tuesday) – marking the end of seven months of rigorous training and regional heats involving thousands of learners nationwide.

The WorldSkills UK finals will see highly-accomplished students and apprentices competing across 49 profession-based competitions and putting the skills they’ve learned to the test.

Oldham College is welcoming more than 80 competitors from across the UK nations – from Lanarkshire to Portsmouth and Belfast to Gwent.

These will be taking part in nine finals in 3D Digital Game Art, Accountancy Technician, Digital Construction, Electrical Installation, Landscaping, Mechanical Engineering CAD, Plumbing, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, and Website Development from November 19-21.

Staff and students will also be cheering on the record eight finalists who will be representing Oldham College elsewhere in competitions for Digital Media Production, IT Support Technician and Foundation Skills: IT Software for Business.

Simon Jordan, Oldham College Principal and Chief Executive, said: “We’re really proud to be one of Greater Manchester’s host venues for WorldSkills UK National Finals 2024.

“This is an amazing opportunity to showcase Oldham College, but also to highlight and celebrate the next generation of talent that is emerging from across four nations and all industry sectors.

“Every single competitor here this week is already a champion and these finals give them a major platform to compete against the best of their peers and be part of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“We are looking forward to welcoming them to Oldham and encouraging them all to show off their talents and achieve their best potential performance.”

Oldham College will also be welcoming hundreds of other visitors this week to attend events and see the action, including Baroness Smith, Minister of State (Minister for Skills) in the Department for Education, WorldSkills UK officials, employers, traders, local schools and influential figures in the education sector.

Learners will also be taking part in Excellence Week ‘pressure test’ contests across campus in preparation for next year’s WorldSkills UK competitions and will be able to watch a National Finals livestream in every building.

Jess Criswell, Oldham College’s Vice Principal for 16-19 and Adult Programmes, said: “As a member of WorldSkills UK’s Centre of Excellence, we’ve been embedding their approach and learning across all our curriculum through a specialist team of educators over the past three years.

“Every single one of our learners gets the chance to join in this competition journey each year: helping to raise their aspirations and performance levels and to give them the edge in preparing for the workplace.

“We’re particularly excited to have a record eight national finalists this time.

"Every competitor who has got to this stage has already reached a fantastic standard and, if they are successful, they could go on next to represent the UK in international competitions.”

Oldham College will share updates on the contests and progress of our learners on its social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.

You can also view our competitions livestream at: https://www.twitch.tv/oldham_college

WorldSkills UK National Finals conclude on Friday, November 22 at Bridgwater Hall, Manchester, where the medallists for each competition are announced and the achievements of all finalists are celebrated.

The Foundation Skills competitions, and the accompanying medal ceremony, also take place that day at The Manchester College City Campus.

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