Canterbury College Students take on the World

Twenty two students from Canterbury College have the world at their feet after excelling in the finals of the WorldSkills UK Competition.

Over the last three months, Canterbury College students from the Dance, Music, Graphic Design and Uniformed Services departments have travelled across the UK to compete in a series of national events and competitions.
WorldSkills UK is the UK's premier set of skills competitions for young people and adults. These competitions aim to encourage young people and adults across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to excel in their vocational skill area.  Their main aim is to help raise the standards of training and performance at work by strengthening the contribution of skills competitions to the UK economy.
The Canterbury College winners and finalists are as follows:

• Contemporary Dance: Solo Performance

Winner of SILVER at UK Final - Bridie Price 

• Contemporary Dance: Group Choreography

Attended UK Final -
Sophie Williams, Rebecca Smith, Catherine Sherratt, Emily Best, Heather Lawrence, Zoe Cheesman, Stephanie Hollister
Competitors were invited to perform and choreograph dance in a contemporary style. It offered the dance students the opportunity to showcase their creativity and technical ability in front of a live audience and judges.

• Hairdressing - Eloise Brophy.   Competed in regional heat.

• Popular Music

Attended UK Final:
Jonathan McMeel, Roger Vann, Mark Hammond, Alasdair Wem
The popular music competition was designed to reflect aspects of a musician’s role in the work place. It provided competitors with an invaluable opportunity to test their skills nationally against other students.

• Advanced Graphic Design

Winner of Silver at UK final - Matthew Woodhams
Winner of Bronze at UK final - Jordan Gerlack
This competition was designed to reflect the role of a web designer and the standards that are expected within the industry.  It placed candidates in the role of a web designer by expecting them to design a user-friendly website from conception to completion.

• Uniformed Services

Attended UK final:
Hayley Winters, Josh Milburn, Charlie Almond, Adam Newman, Carolina Kopycja-Wright, Megan Llewellyn, Fou Chi Chung, Shelly Heaton.
This physically demanding competition is ideally suited to those preparing to enter one of the uniformed services. Competition activities vary according to heats and the availability of local public services.

• IT

 
As UK finalists they are eligible, and may be picked for, the team that goes on to represent the UK at the International WorldSkills Competition, which is held every two years..

Alison Clarke, Principal and Executive Director said: ‘This is a fantastic achievement.  We’re very proud of our students. WorldSkills UK is a prestigious contest and the teams overcame huge national competition to gain such great results.”

WorldSkills UK is supported by government, the Devolved Nations and a host of other partners across business, industry and the world of education and training.

Notes to Editors:

About UK Skills   www.ukskills.org.uk

• UK Skills, a not for profit organisation, manages the delivery of innovative, high profile competitions and awards which showcase excellence and demonstrate how exceptional performance improves individual and organisational success.

• Established in 1990, UK Skills works to raise the profile of skills in the UK and oversee the UK’s premier set of skills competitions, WorldSkills UK.

• UK Skills also manages the UK team entry to WorldSkills, the biggest skills competition in the world. Most recently UK Skills spearheaded the bid to bring WorldSkills to London in 2011. WorldSkills London 2011 will be a truly global showcase for skills and young people from across the world.

• UK Skills also manages the National Training Awards which celebrate exemplary training in the workplace; from coordinating the awards famously robust judging processes to organising celebration events across the UK, UK Skills works on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to shine a spotlight on those who have made a difference to their organisation through training.

About WorldSkills www.worldskills.org.uk

• The WorldSkills Competition is the biggest skills competition in the world and is held every two years in one of its member countries.  Its sets world class standards in over 40 skill categories ranging from cabinet making to web design.

• Over four days of tough competition, young people drawn now from 51 member nations test themselves against tough international standards.  The ultimate prizes are gold, silver and bronze medals. 

• Locations of previous and future WorldSkills competitions:

2003:      St. Gallen, Switzerland
2005:      Helsinki, Finland
2007:      Shizuoka, Japan
2009:      Calgary, Canada
2011:      London, UK

About WorldSkills Calgary www.worldskills2009.com

• Calgary will host the 40th WorldSkills Competition, from September 1 to 6, 2009.

• UK Skills is responsible for selecting and training UK candidates for WorldSkills. 

• The UK’s WorldSkills team is managed by UK Skills working in partnership with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Employment and Learning Northern Ireland, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and key partners from education, government and industry