It’s Been A Record Year For Coleg Cambria At Welsh Skills Competitions

It’s been a record year for staff and students from Coleg Cambria in the recent Welsh Skills competitions, with over 170 learners competing bringing home over 40 medals whilst competing in a number of new areas of expertise.

Skills Competition Wales are run by a dedicated network of colleges, work-based providers and employers.

Funded by the Welsh Government, they aim to raise the profile and level of skills in Wales by offering students, trainees and apprentices in Wales to take part in over 30 skills competitions and challenge, benchmark and raise their skills.

These are free events and run as a precursor to the WorldSkills UK competitions.

January and February have been a particularly busy month for Coleg Cambria as it led on 17 competitions and hosted a further 12 including Aero, CNC Milling, CAD (Computer Aided Design), Welding, Construction Metal Work, Manufacturing Team Challenge, School STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Industrial Electronics, Forensics, Schools Forensics, Beauty Therapies, Hairdressing, Fitness Training, Restaurant Service, Automotive Technologies and Built Environment.

The college welcomed competitors from across Wales, whilst some Cambria learners supported by staff, travelled as far as Carmarthen and Gower College to compete.

For the first time this year students competed in new and exciting areas including IT Technician with Kai Taylor winning Silver and Creative Pop Music-Team, with team Chasms from Cambria achieving Silver.

Other results including Welding finals saw Coleg Cambria students David Duncan and Gruffudd Roberts awarded first and second place retrospectively with Jay Blair from MITEK Pembrokeshire College securing the third place.  

In the Construction Metal Work Cambria swept the board with Ieuan Evans taking first place, Ieuan Burton securing second place and Lewis Fenlon third. Karolina Witowska achieved Gold in the Beauty – Body competition and Cambria Enterprise team brought back Gold.

In total Coleg Cambria took 13 golds, 18 Silver and 12 bronze an increase of 25-medals from the previous year.

Deputy Director Learner Experience & Enterprise, Rona Griffiths said:

“It’s been an amazing and busy few months and all involved have worked incredibly hard to achieve medals and successful competitions.  The Welsh Skills Competitions gives learners the opportunity to improve their skills and to be recognised within their industries. I would like to wish all who took part the very best for a bright future.”

Image: Forensics (Gold) – Jodie Bamber and Caitlin Hardman