South Staffordshire College hairdressing student Mollie Round wins regional skills competition 

South Staffordshire College is celebrating Mollie Round who was crowned as the winner at today’s West Midlands Colleges hairdressing skills competition. The college is also very proud of Niamh Christer King who also represented Team SSC in the competition.

The event, held at Stoke College, and proudly endorsed by WorldSkills UK, brought together talented hairdressing learners from colleges across the West Midlands, with participants representing Stoke College, South Staffordshire College, Sandwell College and Dudley College.

The ‘Red Carpet’ competition brief challenged learners to create a complete red‑carpet hair look within a 45‑minute time limit, working on a practice block using heated styling equipment. Competitors were required to demonstrate a range of professional techniques, incorporate accessories to enhance the finished style, and present a mood board showcasing their creative vision for a full red‑carpet look, including hair, makeup, clothing and accessories. All work was assessed against industry‑standard criteria, including overall finish, creativity, balance, time management, product usage and adherence to health and safety standards.

After a closely contested competition, Mollie Round impressed the judging panel with her technical ability, attention to detail and professionalism, securing first place and the gold medal. Second place was awarded to Tegan Hook from Sandwell College, with third place going to Oakleigh Cooper from Dudley College.

The competition was judged by Darren Brennan from Allen Howard EWD, who ensured that learner work was assessed against real‑world standards and expectations. He commented, “the competition was extremely difficult to judge and highlighted how impressive it was to see such accomplished work being produced at this stage of training”.

WorldSkills UK endorsed competitions play a vital role in preparing learners for employment, building confidence and resilience, and strengthening collaboration across West Midlands colleges. Katie Small, Teaching and Learning coach at South Staffordshire College, said “competitions provide learners with the opportunity to test themselves in professional environments while celebrating excellence and ambition across the region”.

A huge congratulations to all learners who took part in representing their colleges so strongly. Special thanks also go to the staff who supported and prepared learners for the competition, helping them to thrive on a regional stage.