WorldSkills UK national finals comes to HOST at MediaCity

The prestigious WorldSkills UK national finals – the biggest skills competition in the UK – are being held for the first time in the North West at innovation hub, HOST, the Home of Skills & Technology.

HOST in MediaCity will welcome 25 students and apprentices from across the UK as they compete to be crowned national champions in the 3D Digital Game Art, Graphic Design and Accountancy Technician finals.

The three competitions will be held over three days at HOST, from Monday 15-Wednesday 17 November, and the winners will be unveiled at a live ceremony hosted by TV presenter Steph McGovern from her Packed Lunch studio at 4pm on Friday 26 November.

In total, more than 400 young people will do battle in 63 different competitions at 22 venues across the UK in November to be crowned the best of the best at WorldSkills UK’s national finals.

The WorldSkills UK competition-based development programmes are designed by industry experts and enhance the practical skills and knowledge taught on training courses by assessing an individual’s employability attributes against set criteria in a competitive timed environment. 

The programme has a real impact on those taking part, with 90 per cent of previous entrants saying their career progression improved after competing and 86 per cent stating their personal and employability skills had improved.

Mo Isap, CEO of IN4 Group, operator of HOST, said: “We are honoured to be bringing the WorldSkills UK finals to the North West, putting it at the heart of the global skills community, and proud to be championing the amazing, highly skilled and diverse local talent we have here.

“I believe everyone should not only have fair access to skills training and development, but also digital technology careers and job opportunities. Supporting and inspiring young people, whatever their background, in developing their technical skills to a world-class standard will future-proof talent, help boost the economy and bring further prosperity to the region.”

Ben Blackledge, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, WorldSkills UK said: “We are really excited to be taking the show on the road this year with finals hosted across the UK. 

“After a year without competitions due to the pandemic, it was really encouraging to see so many people competing in the qualifying rounds. I want to offer my congratulations to all those that took part and wish the competitors at MediaCity the best of luck in their finals. 

“Our competitions and competition-based development programmes equip apprentices and students with the lifelong, world-class skills that will help increase UK productivity and competitiveness.”