A Competitive EdgeThe Case for Skills Competitions: Colleges

Up-skilling the UKThe UK is facing an ever-growing challenge to stay competitive and increase productivity in light of significant skills shortages, changing industry needs and the challenges of Brexit.

Employers are crying out not only for technically gifted workforces, but for young people, who are resilient and who can bring real value and innovation to meet these new and growing challenges.

The colleges and training providers we work with get this. That’s why together we are pioneering a new way to upskill Generation Z, leveraging learning from the training and performance methodology from Team GB’s Olympic success, and giving young people the opportunities to compete and learn. We can prove our work drives the world-class skills set and mindset employers need.

As these case studies demonstrate, entering WorldSkills UK Competitions brings real benefits, not just for employers, but for colleges and training providers too. Leveraging the skills competitions and the methodology behind it, can strategically drive performance in student and apprentice recruitment, retention and achievement rates, boost curriculum innovation and offer real opportunities for continuing professional development for staff. It can give you an edge in your offer for employers and, what’s more, it can provide a gateway to international experience for students and apprentices. There are clear benefits to working together.

That’s why we are calling on more colleges and training providers from across the UK to get in touch to find out how working in partnership with us will help improve your performance and boost your offer to employers.

Dr Neil Bentley CEO, WorldSkills UK

NESCOT College - Developing an employable workforce 4

The College of North West London – From good to great 7

East Durham College - Creating a locally resilient mindset 10

North Warwickshire and Hinckley College and South Leicestershire College – Skills competitions are a game changer 13

New College Lanarkshire – Demonstrating creative edge 17

Contents

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Developing an employable workforce “They (students) know that entering WorldSkills UK Competitions increases their employment and further education prospects; … that they are learning the right skills for the industry.” Suresh Kamadchisundaram, Tutor: NESCOT

Nescot attracts learners from the local community, nationally and from overseas. Its range of courses include further education, higher education, professional, leisure, short, full and part-time courses. Nescot has been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted in the first inspection since 2010 and has the highest point score in Surrey for 16 to 18-year-olds at further education colleges.

Nescot has competed in WorldSkills UK National Finals since 2009, and has so far achieved 10 Gold, Six Silver, and four Bronze Medals and has had three students selected for Squad UK for international skills competitions.

KEY POINTS

Student intake has increased, with some specifically seeking WorldSkills UK involvement.

Employers increasingly ask if our candidates have been involved in WorldSkills UK.

Competition is now embedded into the curriculum due to the wider benefits to all learners.

Making learners job-ready

Nescot has a track record within WorldSkills UK to be proud of, but it’s not just about winning medals for them, explains College Tutor Suresh Kamadchisundaram.

“It’s the something extra that the learner gains; the different skills beyond the technical skills they learn from their qualifications. Problem solving, team-building and lots of other soft skills – those are the things that employers like most. We want our learners to be ready for jobs and they get that from WorldSkills UK.”

Having seen the impact on their learners, Nescot has a dedicated annual competitions budget, managed by the Deputy Principal, and part of Suresh’s role is to coordinate its competition involvement. Their IT department entered first, with other departments following suit after seeing the benefits. The college takes advantage of the lack of age restriction for WorldSkills UK Competitions, and encourages all students to enter,

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and to try different competitions if they don’t succeed in one area, as it increases their employability even to just take part.

Suresh states that students who are involved in WorldSkills UK:

“Become very committed. We’ve definitely noticed a different attitude from these students; they become different people.”

Staff are then able to help these engaged students to develop the skills they need for competing – time-keeping, working with others, communication with team leaders – all the while making them more employable.

Students want to be involved

“The holistic gains [from WorldSkills UK] to the learners speak for themselves, and I don’t have to actively recruit learners each year to enter the competitions. The increasing popularity across the college also means learners willingly commit their spare time to training in order to benefit from the technical and soft skills they will gain. They know that it increases their employment prospects and further education prospects; that it looks good on their CV; and that they are learning the right skills for the industry.”

Suresh also attributes a general increase in determination amongst all students from the inspirational success that Nescot students have achieved in previous WorldSkills UK Competitions. A current Nescot student, Chris Green, is aiming to represent Team GB in Olympic Swimming. But his motivation to also succeed in his trade resulted in a Gold in the IT Network Solutions WorldSkills UK National Final.

Boosting College Reputation

The success of Nescot has also spread outside the college and the opportunity to compete is a draw for potential learners. The college notes that their involvement in WorldSkills UK has increased intake each year, with more and more students coming to Open Days asking about WorldSkills UK. Commented Suresh:

“The fact that learners will have access to WorldSkills UK training is an attraction. We actively promote the WorldSkills UK Competition cycle as part of the curriculum and our website promotes the success stories of those selected for international training.”

In addition to helping with recruitment, WorldSkills UK Competition involvement has impacted on performance results across the college. In their last Ofsted report, WorldSkills UK was mentioned as having a positive impact on the college and its students with external examiners noting how these students have excelled because of it. Suresh credits the hands-on aspects of WorldSkills UK programmes as a core reason for this change.

“Perhaps the most tangible way of evidencing the impact of WorldSkills UK , however, is the boost in success in Nescot students taking the next step beyond college – their involvement in competitions has helped make Nescot students stand out for their extra-curricular activity in UCAS applications and when seeking jobs, apprenticeships and traineeships. Students are more successful than those without it in their experience.”

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With increasing publicity around WorldSkills UK and a growing number of employers supporting the programme, more and more are asking Nescot if their candidates have been involved in the competitions. For example, WorldSkills UK alumni from Nescot have secured jobs at GCHQ and Sophus. Shane Carpenter a NESCOT student achieved an offer of a scholarship for Kings College London as well as an apprenticeship with BAE Systems, and is now set to represent Team UK at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017.

Competition is embedded

Learners at the college are exposed early on, not just to WorldSkills UK Competitions, but to the concept of competition in general as a means of stimulating progress. The staff, however, have seen huge benefits to them as educators too and now embed previous test pieces into the curriculum. This gives them an industry-approved, ready-made assessment tool that is relevant to the wider industry. Exposing their learners to the competition environment is a condensed format to teach employability skills, and is also an easy way for staff to select which students should go on to enter the WorldSkills UK Competitions.

Educators at the college are also motivated by the WorldSkills UK Competitions, not just because of the pride from seeing their learners succeed. With their learners progressing at an increased rate, they are stimulated to keep their skills up-to-date. The way WorldSkills UK competitors are encouraged to hone their skills, means even the best students seek continual improvement and keep mastering their skill. Educators also benefit from the innovative and unique training that the learners receive from WorldSkills UK Experts, with former students acting as mentors to their younger counterparts.

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From good to great “Competitions foster the development of specific academic skills, as well as improved engagement, achievement and stronger motivation to learn. The activities enhance student development in terms of cognitive, affective and social outcomes.” Anju Mali, Skills Competitions Coordinator

The College of North West London is a vibrant further education college with campuses located in Willesden and Wembley Park, in the London Borough of Brent. They also run a construction skills centre in King’s Cross. The college specialises in vocational courses focused on delivering the skills and qualifications necessary to help students develop a career, get an apprenticeship or progress to university. They host WorldSkills UK National Qualifiers and had more entries than any other London College in 2017.

KEY POINTS:

A core tactic for delivering the college’s strategic goals.

Challenging good students to become great.

Competition is now embedded into the curriculum due to the wider benefits to all learners.

Recognised as good practice for students and staff by Ofsted.

A core objective

The college has been entering skills competitions for many years and has also run its own internal competition day. This started in the construction and engineering faculty but has since extended to cover the majority of the college’s curriculum. Skills competitions are important to the college’s positioning and brand, with its mission statement ‘to be London’s leading skills college’. Central to this aim is their involvement in competitions - to develop and motivate students, with the success in this area demonstrating that the college is achieving its objectives.

Opportunities for all

The college uses skills competitions as a mechanism to help motivate and sharpen student performance, particularly for high achieving and middle-tier students. It believes that competition activity introduces a high performance culture and greater quality in a

The College of North West London:

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student’s work. For the college, competition activity is intrinsic to the learning and skill development of their students. They are able to see the standard which other competitors are working towards, engage with experts and develop a thorough understanding of their skill.

Anju Mali the college’s Skills Competitions Coordinator reflected:

“Competitions foster the development of specific academic skills, as well as improved engagement, achievement and stronger motivation to learn. The activities enhance student development in terms of cognitive, affective and social outcomes.”

All students in the college have the opportunity of competing in skills competitions, with the ambition of being able to develop the student’s confidence and aspiration. This experience acts as a platform for students from across the college to build interest in their skill area and beyond. Student Yogdip Raghvani was a particular example of this. Having competed for the college in the National Final of WorldSkills UK Competition in Web Design, Yogdip has gone on to speak at events in the House of Lords and have the confidence to launch his own web design business. For Anju it is about how:

“Competitions can impact positively on young people’s attitudes, beliefs and personal effectiveness.”

Medal winners have become role models for current students, coming back to the college regularly to speak to groups of students in a related subject area.

A community of learning

The college is involved in hosting the WorldSkills UK National Qualifiers for the IT competitions. These play an important role in deepening relationships and developing greater collaboration among colleges. They also present the opportunity for students from different colleges to interact with one another and develop key social and emotional skills. More importantly for Anju, it helps to develop a community from which a wider impact can be fostered.

“Competitions provide powerful learning outcomes for young people, which contribute to a sense of belonging, feeling valued and the ability to make a positive contribution in their community and society. Learners develop more positive relationships with each other, with their teachers and with the wider community.”

Ofsted approved

The college has a comprehensive method of co-ordinating and preparing their students for participation in skills competitions. This includes masterclasses outside of regular lessons, entrepreneurship competitions and providing students with additional workshop time. In 2015, Ofsted highlighted the skills of staff, which are demonstrated and developed in part through involvement in competition activity:

“Teaching and learning are good. Staff are knowledgeable and highly skilled and use their expertise and experience effectively to develop students’ skills and knowledge.”

The extent to which competitions have been embedded in the college is reflected in the outcomes of their last Ofsted report.

“Teachers make good use of local and national skills competitions to boost students’ confidence, improve their practical skills and raise their aspirations. For example, business and information communication technology students enhance their understanding of how to develop commercial products and services through taking part in an enterprise project sponsored by a major computer manufacturer.”

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Creating a locally resilient mindset “We continue to aim for greater links between inter-college skills competition activity and participation in WorldSkills UK Competitions and a closer fit with the economic skills priorities of the region.“ Suzanne Duncan, Principal: East Durham College

East Durham College is committed to offering an outstanding and inclusive education, providing individuals, the community and the local economy with every opportunity to succeed. The college operates across three campuses, as well as providing workforce development within individual workplaces across the region. Students at East Durham College develop their confidence, self-esteem and work-related skills - developing good employability skills and enhancing their future opportunities.

KEY POINTS:

Competition activity can improve the resilience and mindset of students.

Lecturers can act as role models in inspiring and encouraging the take-up of skills competitions.

Competitions can be used as a method of stretching and challenging pupils to improve attainment.

Resilience through competition

The college focuses on developing resilience and giving students the chance to aim for perfection through practice competitions as a key part of this focus. The college has used competitions to motivate and increase performance standards among those involved, as well as their classmates. The aim of using competitions in this way is to create role models for others to look to emulate, driving up standards and creating an upward cycle of success. Competitions are included in the college’s teaching and learning strategy as a way of challenging students to take them out of their comfort zone and stretch them.

The objective of this is to produce wider benefits for the college in terms of student progression and attainment, increasing the take-up of skills competitions and supporting staff in terms of their development.

East Durham College:

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Meeting local needs

The college encourages as many of its students as possible to participate in competitions as part of their courses. At college, local, national and even international level, competitions play a vital role in raising standards, esteem and levels of expertise. The North-East region has, since 2012, fostered inter-college and regional skills competition events to bring together young people and employers to help students develop broader skills including building resilience and the ability to cope under pressure. The competition categories have also been aligned to the region’s economic skills priorities to help address issues around the skills gaps.

Suzanne Duncan, Principal of East Durham College and WorldSkills UK Ambassador for the North East, said:

“Students and staff value highly the opportunity to compete at a local level, and aspire to participate at the national events. We continue to aim for greater links between inter-college skills competition activity and participation in WorldSkills UK Competitions and a closer fit with the economic skills priorities of the region. The North East inter-college skills competition is a great platform to prepare students and staff for the next level up at WorldSkills UK.”

Raising standards in teaching and learning

For Suzanne:

“Skills competitions have a hugely important role to play in driving up teaching and coaching standards and learner aspirations.”

Students are often set the task of undertaking self-assessments to use this as a benchmark against which to assess their progress. They also work together in groups to develop and set the success measures and criteria for competitions, through to delivering a high quality piece of work which is judged and assessed against that set criteria.

More importantly the college has moved the emphasis for students away from winning to increasing participation. Students compete against their own personal best and improvement in their own work, increasing their self-belief along the way. This approach has particularly supported those taking BTEC qualifications in Business and IT, where all learners have secured a minimum distinction grade. While competition activity has also supported the retention of students at the college, reaching 93% from September 2016.

Central to teachers embedding competitions across the curriculum has been developing their comprehension in this area. The college runs an induction programme in which lecturers are given an understanding of competition strategies, techniques and training. For lecturers, the challenge of a competition brings fun and exciting new elements into teaching, learning and assessment, making the experience more involved for all concerned.

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Still more to do

The college currently plays a prominent role in organising local skills competitions, they are now looking to achieve greater integration with WorldSkills UK and increase the take-up of competitions amongst their students and the range of skills being entered into. Progress has already been made in this area with Suzanne highlighting:

“There are over 100 young people in training, as part of Squad UK, for WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 and I’m sure the North-East inter-college skills competitions will help increase representation from the region in the future.”

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Skills competitions are a game changer “I wanted to embed a culture of ambition and achievement across the college. . . I felt that skills competitions were a ‘game changer’ that would enable this both at individual and corporate level.” Marion Plant OBE, Principal and Chief Executive: North Warwickshire and Hinckley College and South Leicestershire College

The college formally merged in August 2016. It offers full-time, part-time and higher education courses, as well as apprenticeships and training solutions for employers. It was one of the few colleges in the country with a corporate strategy around competitions. In November 2016, 15 students from the college competed in the National Finals of WorldSkills UK Competitions and Inclusive Skills Competitions at The Skills Show held in Birmingham.

KEY POINTS:

Competitions can act as fulcrum in creating a culture of excellence and stretching ambition in a college.

Competitors from skills competitions can act as role models, developing a community of learning excellence that can be shared internally and externally.

Participation in international and national competitions can raise the profile and reputation of a college.

WorldSkills UK methods of assessment and standards can act as benchmarks by which to measure and improve student attainment.

Creating a culture of ambitious excellence

The college’s involvement in skills competitions in its early years was limited to a set number of skills such as catering and hospitality and hair and beauty.

Principal and Chief Executive Marion Plant OBE witnessed the impact of these competitions on the college departments and the students which had participated, in

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terms of demonstrating excellence and ambition. As a result she wanted to more widely replicate this impact across the college and expanded the remit to ensure that skills competitions were central to the college’s corporate teaching and learning strategy. Marion said:

“I wanted to embed a culture of ambition and achievement across the college. This cultural shift was organisationally imperative for us and had to be led from the top; with a focus on improving outcomes across the board. I felt that skills competitions were a ‘game changer’ that would enable this both at individual and corporate level.”

Marion set out on an ambitious programme of embedding competitions across the whole college with the wider goal of having an impact on areas as diverse as Ofsted, recruitment, staff development and curriculum assessment.

Attracting new and engaging current students

Skills competitions act as a unique selling point for the college when marketing their services to new students. They are able to distinguish themselves from other local colleges, by using their success in national and international competitions as a benchmark for excellence set at the college. They also promote to external audiences the benefits competitions have on their students, highlighting how this helps to develop their high level skills in the workplace, and provide essential opportunities to stretch students and boost their self-confidence.

For Marion the key to success in this area is widening participation:

”As a college we want to ensure all our young people are able to compete in local, regional and national skills competitions.”

Central to this ethos is highlighting that the benefits of competitions are for all students, which the college has demonstrated in its commitment as one of the founding partners for inclusive skills competitions. These competitions showcase the skills of young people with specific educational needs and disabilities. From an external engagement perspective the benefits for the college have also spread to take on an international dimension:

“On an international level our participation in competitions has opened up new markets overseas where we have a gained a reputation for excellence in particular skills, notably this being the case with CNC Turning and Milling from WorldSkills São Paolo in 2015.”

One of the key metrics for any further education college in addition to student recruitment is the retention of its students. Skills competitions support the college in keeping its students engaged in their studies and beyond. A particularly inspirational moment for Marion was a student who remarked to her:

“My involvement in skills competitions has wildly exceeded my own ambitions and those of my family, my friends and my tutors.”

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The student who was dyslexic and now runs his own successful business, encapsulated the outcomes the college wanted to embed in their students through competitions, which was to be ambitious and to be excellent. Marion shared:

“Competitions are an extremely important part of our college ethos, they develop skills, raise aspirations and prepare students for life and work. We know that our competitors are an inspiration to our current and prospective students as they begin their first steps to pursuing their careers.”

As a direct result of the college’s involvement in skills competitions they have created a community of former competitors, the College Competition Squad. Similar to the WorldSkills UK Champions programme they act as role models for fellow students and lead on delivering activities and workshops on their skill, across the college. Students have supported peer to peer learning internally, where they work together across departments and share knowledge with one another. Where further afield they are also now involved in delivering workshops and enthusing those from the college-owned Multi Academy Trust (MAT) about competitions.

Using coaching methodology

Staff at the college have benefited from their active involvement in skills competitions and found ways of disseminating best practice back into the college. An example of this is the adoption of the competition methodology on coaching across the whole of the college’s teaching and learning staff. This was from the perspective of staff using learned techniques aimed at improving student motivation and confidence in their subjects; modelled on the method that Performance Coaches use at WorldSkills UK Competitions to bring the best out of their competitors. This has resulted in staff stretching themselves more and in turn raising the expectations of students, which Marion believes has been crucial for the college in terms of the student attainment and in supporting the retention of good staff.

Raising the bar

WorldSkills UK’s international and national frameworks for assessment of a skill are of a high standard, set to inspire the next generation to be ambitious in their pursuit for excellence, while equipping them with lifelong, world-class skills. The college has encouraged staff to use the competition method of assessment and benchmarking for students who have reached their base level of attainment and would benefit from being stretched to reach a higher standard.

Taking this into account the college undertook a study which looked at the average attainment of those students which had participated in competitions against a comparison group of students who had not. From this they found that on average those who have participated in competitions have a 2% greater attainment rate than those that have not. The broader impact of competitions on students is something that was picked up in the college’s 2015 Ofsted report.

“A significant number of students take part in competitions, including at a very high skill level through national skills competitions, which raises their aspirations and gives them a sense of pride. Students develop successfully a wide range of skills relevant to their chosen vocation including through use of work-related projects and competitions which prepare them well for future employment or further study. Staff have enhanced the provision by developing innovative vocational competitions and projects, often with local employers. Most students benefit from working in these different and sometimes challenging contexts.”

Ambitions for the future

For Marion the future focus in regard to competitions is to continue to widen the participation of students:

“We want to continue to increase the breadth and depth of competition activity across the whole of our newly-merged college, increasing take-up particularly in skills the college is not currently represented in.”

There are also opportunities for strategic growth ensuring that the impact of competitions is focused in the most relevant areas. The college is looking at how to align competition activity with local priority needs outlined by Local Enterprise Partnerships to help address skills shortages and gaps in the area, in line with the new Sainsbury 15 technical routes.

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Demonstrating creative edge “Within CAD, in an assessment environment, you might need to model one part, but in a competition, you need to model 20 parts, create multiple drawings, animations etc, all in six hours.” Barry Skea, Assistant Head of Faculty: New College Lanarkshire

New College Lanarkshire (NCL) is a further education college in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It has over 25,000 students on 800 courses covering a wide range of industries, from baking and beauty therapy to cars and computers.

More than 30 students competed against 500 other competitors in the National Finals of the WorldSkills UK Competitions in 2016, with 14 students securing medals.

KEY POINTS:

NCL recognised that joining WorldSkills UK Competitions would benefit students, staff and the college.

WorldSkills UK is fully integrated into the college’s curriculum, with all students exposed to the standards and content involved.

Not only have they seen their students win medals, but they’ve seen them flourish as individuals in confidence and skill.

Inspiring staff and students alike

In 2007 Barry Skea, Assistant Head of Faculty: Engineering and Automotive was contacted by Autodesk, a sponsor for WorldSkills International, to input into their software development.

“Once I learnt about WorldSkills UK, I wanted to be involved. I could see the benefits.”

Barry soon became the CAD Expert for Squad UK and Team UK, helping competitors ahead of their participation at WorldSkills International.

NCL began entering the WorldSkills UK Competition in Mechanical Engineering: CAD, and has since entered competitors into the IT competitions. More staff members became involved by taking on roles including judging at the competitions:

“They get to see the standard across the UK, and benchmark across the country. Visiting The National Finals of the WorldSkills UK Competitions at The Skills Show really boosted college involvement – staff could see that the whole movement is driven by industry.”

New College Lanarkshire:

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The college Principal recognised that the competition activity was not just limited to the classroom, but was national and across all disciplines. Faculties across NCL began utilising their budgets for competition activity, having seen how it engages their students and takes them beyond the typical curriculum requirements.

“Within CAD, in an assessment environment, you might need to model one part, but in a competition, you need to model 20 parts, create multiple drawings, animations etc, all in six hours.”

Integrating WorldSkills UK Competitions

NCL strongly believes that WorldSkills UK Competitions bring clarity to their students who do not know what to do about their future careers, by giving them a stepping stone into industry.

Even those who do not go on to compete are exposed to the standards and the content involved. Explains Barry:

“We use old competition test pieces as good training material. It’s part and parcel of what we do now.”

Creating resilient and confident students

Over the years NCL has witnessed the positive impact on their students, with increases in engagement across all skill areas in which they compete. Barry cites one HNC mechanical engineering student, Betsy Crosbie’s, journey as an example:

“She came to us as a young girl who had very little interaction with staff in class, or with other students. Betsy entered the CAD Competitions, reached the National Final and came 10th out of 10. She competed the following year and secured a Silver Medal. She went on to compete as a member of Team UK at EuroSkills Gothenburg 2016 – the only female in the competition – and is representing Team UK again at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017.

“It’s not just the skill level, it’s the personal development and increased confidence. I’ve seen it in every cycle of competitions we’ve been in, from regional to international.”

Education Scotland has specifically mentioned the role that WorldSkills UK Competitions have had in learner progress. Their 2015 report states:

“Many learners across a diverse range of subject areas achieve success in skills competitions at local regional, national and international levels. These successes make a significant contribution to learner motivation and raise learner confidence, expectations and aspirations. They also reinforce high standards and the value of skills for employment.”

Future involvement in Competitions

The college now competes in a range of skills, with faculties using competitions as a means to push themselves and to raise students’ standards. As well as CAD, the college has reaped success in 3D Digital Game Art, with students going on to secure places at top level universities for animation and gaming, plus hairdressing, and fashion and photographic make-up. With support from the college Principal, they are looking to address even more skills in the future.

Find out moreIf you need any further help or assistance please contact us:

E: accelerate@worldskillsuk

W: worldskillsuk.org

WorldSkills UK is a member of The 5% Club, targeted at employers who want to rebalance the economy and build the UK’s long term prosperity through a focus on technical skills to drive innovation.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the organisations which support WorldSkills UK. We would also like to offer special recognition to the competitors’ Employers, Colleges and Training Providers, Experts and Performance Coaches.

© WorldSkills UK 2017