South Staffordshire College Joins The Skills Revolution

The skills revolution grows, as South Staffordshire College is selected to join the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence. This pioneering initiative, partnered and co-funded by educational charity and awarding body NCFE, aims to raise standards in technical education through sharing international best practice.

Launched in 2020, the programme now boasts 48 member institutions throughout the UK. South Staffordshire College students and lecturers will directly benefit from this community by gaining a fresh perspective though world-class teacher training, to supercharge outcomes for students.

Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE, CEO of WorldSkills UK, said: “The Centre of Excellence is a huge success and oversubscribed every year. It’s a radical new way of bringing global insights to local economies, supporting young people the length and breadth of the UK.”

Through skills development workshops and CPD programmes, the aim is to inspire educators at South Staffordshire College to elevate their teaching practice and return to the classroom full of passion and purpose. In return, students are better equipped to meet the needs of a future skills economy.

Last year, 82% of lecturers in the programme said it had helped them make positive changes to their teaching and training practice.

Dr Bentley-Gockmann said: “In order to deliver the world-class skills that employers demand to be internationally competitive, we need to invest in the educators who are training young people for the future.”

For South Staffordshire College students, the training benefits go way beyond technical skills. Last year, over 75% said they were now determined to complete their studies, four-fifths (86%) felt the skills they learnt directly applied to their education and work, and 80% felt it had applied to other parts of their life.

South Staffordshire College has had a long-standing relationship with WorldSkills UK. Dozens of students have competed in regional and national competitions which has helped boost their skills and confidence.

Dr Bentley-Gockmann said: “Mainstreaming excellence in training standards and delivering directly to tens of thousands of young students and apprentices at their places of learning is key to attracting inward investment and bringing high-quality jobs to more parts of the UK to help boost economic growth.”

WorldSkills UK’s Centre of Excellence is supported by its partner and co-funder NCFE. David Gallagher, Chief Executive at NCFE, said “I’m delighted to see South Staffordshire College join the World Skills UK Centre of Excellence. Outstanding educators are essential to achieving a technical education system that creates positive change and unlocks potential.

“The initiative supports the UK-wide delivery of leading practice in the technical and vocational space, with more institutions and educators joining the programme each year. This focus on ‘excellence’ is crucial for the UK to grow a prosperous ‘Skills Economy’ that will drive productivity and our global competitiveness.”