Students Compete in Inter-College Competition Through WorldSkills UK
Rotherham College students showcased their hard work and skill as they took part in an Inter-College competition between Rotherham College, North Notts College and Dearne Valley College in the final days before the festive break.
Students from a wide range of curriculum areas competed as, Business, Childcare, Construction, Engineering, Graphic Design, Hair and Beauty, Media Make-up, Media, Photography and Travel and Tourism students all took part.
The competition was part of the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence Programme, which aims to raise the standards in technical training and Apprenticeships across the UK. The three Colleges (all part of RNN Group) joined the programme in 2020 and have since worked closely with WorldSkills, through competitions, training and teaching to upskill students and staff.
The late December competition saw Level 1,2 and 3 students compete in a time-sensitive event, where industry experienced judges assessed their work.
Joe Wilde, who is a WorldSkills Ambassador and Construction Team Leader at Rotherham College as well as Ellie Tizard, Construction Technician were the appointed judges for the Level 1 Bricklaying competition. Here, six students were first briefed on their assignment, to build a T-Junction wall that was two layers of brick in height, and were then given one hour to build and produce their work.
The students were then assessed on their use of personal protective equipment (PPE), their workplace preparation, measurements, use of equipment and end product. Joe spoke about the importance of these competitions and the part they play in the development of student’s abilities.
He said: “Pressure Tests are a brilliant tool which is highly important to the students’ development.
“They allow for students to experience an environment which replicates the workplace, where they are set a clear task and challenged to work independently. Through these tests, they improve skills such as time management, technical ability and learn to understand their strengths and weaknesses through detailed feedback.”
Alongside the Level 1 Construction students, Graphic Design students at Rotherham College also had their skills put under the microscope in a Pressure Test. We caught up with Level 3 Graphic Design students, Dudley Bowring and Lily-Anne Gree, who both took part in the Inter-College competition. Along with their classmates, they were tasked with creating an informative poster that tackled a social issue.
Using the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals as inspiration, Dudley and Lily-Anne both created pieces related to preserving life below water. Speaking about their plans for the future, the pair both stated their intent to pursue a career in graphic design, where Lily-Anne is aiming to work in an agency and Dudley wants to own his own agency.
Dudley said: “I really enjoy the creative process that comes with Graphic Design. My plan is to attend university after College and eventually I would like to run my own business, where I can take a more general approach to Graphic Design and work on a more holistic level.”
To learn more about the courses on offer at Rotherham College and the competitions that prepare you for working life, please flick through our course guide here