UVAC had the pleasure of attending WorldSkills Shanghai last week alongside our partners and member University of Exeter, who I heard speak at the Skills Colab during days one and two of the “Shaping a Skills-Driven Future” conference about their WorldSkillsUK endorsed competition, now in its third cycle, which engages with their apprentices and provides recognisable enrichment activity. Recognition made by Ofsted and reflected on in their recent inspection outcome. I am pleased to also acknowledge that UVAC is WSUK’s official HE partner.

UVAC with WorldSkillsUK and the University of Exeter is keen to engage more universities in the idea of using skills competitions to enhance both learner and practitioner experience. I invite you to express your interest in knowing more about what involvement in a nationally endorsed skills project could mean for the quality of your apprenticeship and skills provision by emailing me.

UVAC is looking to convene a new network of actively engaged universities and HE providers to explore competition pedagogy, participate in WSUK’s Centre of Excellence and Technical Excellence programme and be associated with a community that is now celebrating unprecedented success at a global level; success that speaks to college, university and training provider commitment to international standards of teaching and learning in higher level technical and professional skills training and performance for young people. We have seen UK competitors fielded last week and in recent years by Keele, Manchester Met, Sheffield Hallam and others.

I wanted to share with you a summary of Team UK’s fantastic performance. Its best performance in a decade that ranked the UK in 7^th position out of 69 countries that competed and showcased how three quarters of the team hit world-class standards or better.

In total the UK Team won 19 medals across 25 skills entered, including golds in chemical laboratory technician and, refrigeration and air conditioning. A silver medal was won in aircraft maintenance and bronze medals in car painting, beauty therapy and additive manufacturing.

The Team achieved medals for excellence, to recognise the world-class standard demonstrated during the competition, in a further 13 skills: mechatronics, CNC milling, plumbing and heating, autobody repair, web technologies, electrical installations, bricklaying, painting and decorating, hairdressing, IT network systems, industry 4.0, 3D digital game art, and renewable energy.

Dr Mandy Crawford-Lee