Ten local students in National Finals

Ten local students in National FinalsTen students from South Staffordshire College have made it through tough regional rounds to represent their sectors at The WorldSkills UK National Finals 2012, competing in subjects as diverse as Landscape Gardening, Floristry, Hairdressing and Beauty.

The College is an official sponsor of The Skills Show 2012, which plays host to the WorldSkills UK finals between 15 – 17th November at the NEC Birmingham. Ashley Brain from Stoke on Trent and Jamie Malia from Wolverhampton are both studying Horticulture at the College’s Rodbaston Campus and will compete in the Landscape Gardening category, taking part in a series of competitions throughout the three day event.

Isabel Garbett from Burntwood will represent South Staffordshire College in Floristry after winning the regional final earlier this year whilst Nicola Cornwall from Cannock and Alice Enifer from Brownhills will represent the College in Hairdressing.

Five Beauty students will compete in the Beauty competition;  Kayleigh Johnson and Chloe Bowdler (from Cannock Campus) and Jordan Hunter, Sarah Lea and Gemma Clark (from Tamworth Campus), study Advanced and Intermediate Beauty Therapy, Nail Art and Nail Enhancement and were part of the 14-strong squad competing in the regional rounds.  They will now perform a series of beauty therapies including a manicure, leg wax, back treatment and nail art, as part of their routine at the finals.

Horticulture student Ashley Brain said “College is great fun and we’re taught by industry experts who provide us with the tools to secure a good job when we leave here”.

Chloe Bowdler added “WorldSkills is a great platform to showcase our talents and what’s more we get the opportunity to test our skills against some of the best in the country”.

Students from across South Staffordshire College’s four campuses have also volunteered to support the Skills Show.  44 students from Construction, Business and Catering will get the chance to work within a team, to see a national event built, delivered and broken down.  They will learn new skills, have an opportunity to meet with local employers and seek advice and guidance from experts. 

The volunteer roles fit well with courses that students are studying and they will be given online and onsite training, a fully branded uniform and a certificate to recognise their hard work.  Most importantly they will be given a ticket to the Employers fair, where local employers will be onsite to talk to volunteers about future training and job opportunities.

The national finals are an integral part of The Skills Show which takes place in Birmingham from November 15 – 17th at the NEC.The Skills Show is the UK’s biggest skills and careers event, providing a unique opportunity for young people to become inspired and learn more about education, skills and apprenticeship opportunities.  The event is free, offering the perfect opportunity to meet employers and existing students on courses at the College.

Visitors to the South Staffordshire College stand will also be able to speak to expert tutors and students to get up to the minute careers advice for help in discovering their true potential.

The College will be showcasing a range of vocational courses on its stand (CF6) in the Further Education feature area titled ‘I am… the next step’; inviting visitors to unlock their potential and try their hand at a variety of activities, including hairdressing on Thursday, learning how to make a flower button hole on Friday and mastering cake decorating skills on Saturday.  

In addition to the activities on the College stand, the Skills Show has a comprehensive ‘Have a Go’ programme.  South Staffordshire College has been selected to host three of the many activities available.  Their sessions will encourage people to have a go at TV presenting, try their hand at plant propagation by taking cuttings , and “Build It, Race It” - an engineering activity  in association with global adhesives brand Araldite to build a free running, non-powered vehicle and see how far it will travel in a downhill challenge.  

During the 3-day show, the College will also be participating in a series of Showcases, featuring trauma tactics performed by Health & Social Care students and Public Services students performing drills on stage.

Tickets for the show are FREE.  For more information about The Skills Show, and to register visit: www.southstaffs.ac.uk/skills-show or call 0845 475 1500

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