Double delight for Wigan and Leigh College at Worldskills UK National Finals

Crystal Palmer and Summer Corcoran, Level 3 Media Makeup and Level 3 Nail Technology students respectively both impressed judges in the final held at Trafford College.

Crystal, who spent months preparing for the final and practising her skills, selected the theme Centuries of Glam. The former Westhoughton High School pupil was delighted to earn the bronze medal and said: “I enjoyed every minute of the competition. It was very surreal but an amazing experience.

“I was very shocked when I was announced third. It’s made me even more motivated and this accolade will also be great to include on my CV.”

Summer, a former Ashton Cansfield High School pupil was equally as thrilled with her bronze. She said: “The competition was amazing. It was so much fun to show my creative skills in different ways.

“The experience was really good and I was over the moon when I found out that I placed bronze. It was amazing to even get through to the final, so I was really proud of myself and couldn’t have done it without my tutors!”

This year, the prestigious WorldSkills UK National Finals were staged in nine venues across Greater Manchester, of which Wigan and Leigh College played host to seven finals.

Held there were Aircraft Maintenance, Electronic Security Systems, Fire Detection and Alarm Systems, Industrial Electronics and Metal Fabricator at its Pagefield Centre of Excellence in Engineering and Construction.

The Centre for Advanced Technical Studies provided the backdrop for the Health and Social Care and Health and Social Care (Foundation) competitions. The compeitions saw students from all over the UK arrive in Wigan to showcase their skills and compete in a celebration of world class skills.

Wigan and Leigh College principal andchair of Greater Manchester Colleges, Anna Dawe, said: “What a week we had at Wigan and Leigh College. From the arrival of the competitors, the judges, the set up teams and the media there has been a buzz around our campuses.

“The competitions, masterclasses for our own students and visits from partner high schools have all raised aspirations and showcased technical skills in the best way possible.

“The 10 further education colleges across Greater Manchester have long been strong supporters of WorldSkills UK and the strength of technical skills training has previously resulted in outstanding performances and proud medal winners.”

Partner high schools were also provided the opportunity to bring groups of pupils along to witness the finals taking place and to speak to industry experts about using technical skills.

Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said: “Thank you to Wigan and Leigh College for hosting such a fantastic event for WorldSkills UK. Our finals not only celebrate the best in young talent, but also provide a vital opportunity to see how skill development in the UK stacks up both domestically and against our international neighbours.

“Skills will continue to be a key differentiator for business both at home and abroad and through our programmes we are working to ensure that all apprentices and students in the North West and across the UK can gain access to high-quality technical education and apprenticeships that lead to real success for them and the UK as a whole.”