We’re at WorldSkills UK Live

The nation’s largest skills and careers event is back in Birmingham’s NEC from Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 November. And we’ll be back too: sponsoring and judging the WSUK Graphic Design National Skills Competition for the fourth year running.

WorldSkills UK Live gives young people the chance to meet hundreds of leading employers, colleges and training providers. It helps them think about the skills they’ll need to find work they’ll love. And, for some, it helps them get even further by winning a National Skills competition.

We’ve partnered with The Manchester College to support this year’s graphic design challenges. Now, after months of work, it’s almost time to announce the winner.

Over 70 students applied online – testing their design skills by creating a suite of promotional materials for the Manchester Publicity Association.

Twenty students made it through to the semis – where they had six hours to tackle a new design challenge in a live studio.

Now we’re down to the final eight. We can’t tell you what we’ve got in store for them (the brief’s top secret until the end of the show). But we can wish our finalists lots of luck.

Our finalists (in no particular order) are:

• Thomas Allwood – Cheshire College
• Thomas Hamil – Northern Regional College
• Erica Wood – New College Durham
• Caspian Reynolds – Mid Kent College
• Luke Davies – Birmingham Metropolitan College
• Kieran O’Shea – Mid Kent College
• Jake Jones – Canterbury College
• Weronicka Machnika – Cheshire College.

 A medal is just the start

Our finalists are competing for national bronze, silver and gold medals. But getting this far will also give their creative careers a massive kickstart. Last year’s winner was Ryan Scurfield from New College Durham. He’s now progressed from his BTEC Level 3 Graphic Design Extended Diploma to a BA(hons) in Graphic Design at the University of Leeds. We can’t wait to see where his design skills take him next.

Here’s what Deborah Davidson, our northwest programme manager and Lead Industry Judge, had to say about this year’s competition:

“WSUK Graphic Design students regularly demonstrate levels of skill and aptitude at the competition which ‘blow away’ our judging panel of industry experts and this year has been no exception. Congratulations on getting through to the competition finals to all this year’s finalists, you have all done outstandingly well to get this far.”

 How can design students get involved?

Entries for the 2019 competition open in March, so you don’t have to wait long. Up to two students from any Level 3 design programme with a graphic design option can apply. And you can be in any UK sixth form or FE college, or be on a Level 3 apprenticeship.

If you want to see 2018’s winning work, keep your eyes peeled: we’ll post it here after the show.