Coleg Sir Gâr joins The Skills Revolution

The skills revolution grows, as Coleg Sir Gâr is selected to join the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence.

This pioneering initiative, partnered and co-funded by educational charity and awarding body NCFE, aims to raise standards in technical education through sharing international best practice.

Launched in 2020, the programme now boasts 48 member institutions throughout the UK.

Coleg Sir Gâr students and lecturers will directly benefit from this community by gaining a fresh perspective though world-class teacher training, to supercharge outcomes for students.

Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE, CEO of WorldSkills UK, said: “The Centre of Excellence is a huge success and oversubscribed every year. It’s a radical new way of bringing global insights to local economies, supporting young people the length and breadth of the UK.”

Through skills development workshops and CPD programmes, the aim is to inspire educators at Coleg Sir Gâr to elevate their teaching practice and return to the classroom full of passion and purpose.

In return, students are better equipped to meet the needs of a future skills economy.

Last year, 82% of lecturers in the programme said it had helped them make positive changes to their teaching and training practice.

Dr Bentley-Gockmann added: “In order to deliver the world-class skills that employers demand to be internationally competitive, we need to invest in the educators who are training young people for the future.”

For Coleg Sir Gâr students, the training benefits go way beyond technical skills. Last year, over 75% said they were now determined to complete their studies, four-fifths (86%) felt the skills they learnt directly applied to their education and work, and 80% felt it had applied to other parts of their life.

Coleg Sir Gâr has had a long-standing relationship with WorldSkills UK and dozens of students have competed in regional and national competitions winning some of the top medals in the UK and gaining international recognition.

Dr Bentley-Gockmann said: “Mainstreaming excellence in training standards and delivering directly to tens of thousands of young students and apprentices at their places of learning is key to attracting inward investment and bringing high-quality jobs to more parts of the UK to help boost economic growth.”

WorldSkills UK’s Centre of Excellence is supported by its partner and co-funder NCFE. David Gallagher, Chief Executive at NCFE, said “I’m delighted to see Coleg Sir Gâr join the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence.

“Outstanding educators are essential to achieving a technical education system that creates positive change and unlocks potential.

“The initiative supports the UK-wide delivery of leading practice in the technical and vocational space, with more institutions and educators joining the programme each year.

“This focus on ‘excellence’ is crucial for the UK to grow a prosperous ‘Skills Economy’ that will drive productivity and our global competitiveness.”