The students selected are part of the WorldSkills National Training and Development Programme, preparing for the National Finals at WorldSkills UK LIVE, due to take place in November, and the WorldSkills international competition in France 2023.
Despite lockdown conditions, the students have begun their remote training to get ready for the qualifying competitions, with 86 attending the college’s very first virtual boot camp.
Paul Little, Principal and Chief Executive at City of Glasgow College, said:
“As an advocate for vocational excellence, I firmly believe these competitions help to improve skills levels and deliver economic growth. Given the current crisis it is encouraging to have such a significant number of registrations this year and to see our students rise to the challenge of rigorous training under lockdown conditions. We wish all our competitors the best of luck in their preparations for the qualifiers.”
Margaret Darroch, Head of the WorldSkills Academy at City of Glasgow College, said:
“We are covering a broader spread of skills this year, including new skills areas such as cyber security, CAD and Inclusive Skills Information Technology Software Solutions for Business, which is fantastic.
“Our virtual boot camp was an enormous success. The boot camps are intense team building training sessions which equip our students with tools and techniques to help them get competition ready. Performance coaches work alongside them, supporting the non-technical aspects of their preparations, keeping them motivated, engaged and inspired during this challenging time.”
Supporting the current crop of competitors under lockdown has seen WorldSkills trainers, coaches, experts and the wider team becoming very creative in making the most of online learning tools and communication platforms.
The competitors have all embraced new ways of working as classrooms and workshops are replaced with virtual training rooms, and content is adapted to support the delivery of innovative training.
