Lewisham College students won the first ever national NCG Skills Competition, at an event which took place over three days, with students from ten different curriculum areas in NCG colleges across the UK competing against each other for the chance to enter WorldSkills UK and represent their College.
The competition provided students with the opportunity to test the skills they have learned throughout their course and experience a national practical timed event. As well as being selected to move to the next round of the WorldSkills UK selection, winners also received donated prizes, such as tools and equipment, to support their future studies and careers.
Asfa Sohail, Principal at Lewisham College, said: “I am very proud of all of the students who entered this year’s competition. Despite some incredibly difficult challenges during lockdown, they have worked very hard to prepare and develop their skills with a great result. The competition has helped all of our competitors gain experience and employability skills, and after a year of remote and blended learning, it has been a motivator to develop practical skills.”
All of the competitions were judged by external industry professionals and the standard of talent across all of the competing colleges was extremely high. The Lewisham College employer partners were L’Oréal, NOCN and EPA Construction, who helped to plan and judge the students’ work and to ensure the entries were aligned to the key themes of enterprise, engagement and employability.
Rob Lynch, Head of Construction and Engineering at Lewisham College, said: “We are delighted to be part of such a collaborative event. Winning has been a testament to the hard work of all the students who competed and the staff supporting them. It has been a great experience for everyone and will help them to prepare for future skills-based competitions and the types of practical work they will do in future employment.”
Lewisham College students won three of the ten categories in the competition:
- Plumbing Kamarleo Lawrence
- Bricklaying: Shaun Wigzell
- Painting and Decorating: Rebecca Dicks
Rebecca Dicks fought off tough competition to win the Painting and Decorating competition. She said: “I was pleased to represent Lewisham College at the NCG Skills Competition. When they announced that I had won I was really excited. I had already learnt a lot preparing for the competition but the result showed me how far I’ve come since starting my course. I now feel much more confident in my skills and I’m excited to start my career in this sector.”
To find out more about the Construction and Digital Engineering courses that the NCG Skills Competition winners’ study, visit lewisham.ac.uk/construction.
