Stockport College, as part of The Trafford College Group, has been named the first Greater Manchester College to be part of the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence, in partnership with NCFE, to mainstream world-class standards in skills development in the UK.
Working together with WorldSkills UK, NCFE and partners, the college will help develop a world-leading technical education sector.
Parisa Shirazi, Head of skills development and international competition at WorldSkills UK, said:
This is a milestone moment – a unique opportunity for Stockport College to work with other colleges across the UK and join the dawn of a skills revolution.
“Working with the staff at The Trafford College Group, we will champion a skills-led recovery, which is driven by international benchmarking and rightly values high-quality apprenticeships and technical education to enable all young people to develop the employability skills that will provide them with a rewarding future.”
Utilising NCFE’s expertise in curriculum development and drawing on WorldSkills UK’s unique insights into global skills systems through its membership of WorldSkills, the global hub for skills excellence, staff at Stockport College will be coached and mentored to embed world-class practises and techniques in their teaching, learning and assessment practices.
The work will be led by WorldSkills UK High-Performance Skills Coaches, who are all experienced WorldSkills UK Training Managers. They will capture learnings from international competitions and use these to coach and mentor educators at Stockport College who will pass this knowledge on to their students, ensuring they perform to international high standards of excellence in their skills.
In addition to its work with FE colleges throughout the UK, the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence will also play an important role in supporting the development of higher technical standards across qualifications and assessment development.
Staff and students at Trafford College’s Altrincham campus, including WorldSkills UK finalist and Patisserie student, Ben Metcalfe, were joined by Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE, Chief Executive WorldSkills UK, and David Gallagher, Chief Executive from WorldSkills UK yesterday morning for the launch of the Centre of Excellence.
Specialist WorldSkills UK tutors, and learners past and present, took part in TV, radio and press interviews throughout the day to share their views on how they will benefit from being part of the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence, and their ambitions and hopes for the future.
College principal and CEO, James Scott commented:
The Trafford College Group is thrilled to have been selected as the only WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence in Greater Manchester.
“We are passionate about delivering excellence in our training and teaching programmes so that students can achieve their full potential. In partnership with WorldSkills UK and NCFE we will further enhance our teaching and curriculum innovation so that we can provide our learners with world-class skills and opportunities, delivered by elite performance coaches, to ensure they succeed in their chosen careers.”
Photo L-R: Principal and CEO, James Scott; Assistant Principal – Adult Learning & Skills, Joan Scott; Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK; and David Gallagher, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK.