College hosts successful Skills Show

Barking & Dagenham College held an exciting event called the Skills Show on April 19th, 2023. The event offered students an opportunity to compete against their classmates in a series of competitions in various subject areas.

Students were able to showcase their technical skills and win prizes, boost their confidence and employability skills, showcase their skills to employers, and prepare for further competitions at local, national, and even international levels.

The competitions took place between 10am and 4pm, and a range of industry experts and employers provided masterclasses, talks, and supported the judging of the competitions throughout the day.

The event featured exciting competitions in different areas such as biology, beauty therapy, hair and media makeup, business management, and electrical work.

Applied Science students took part in a biology lab practical investigating heart rates, while Beauty Therapy, Hair and Media Makeup students participated in competitions and showcases involving face painting, hair and glitter plaiting, nail polish and hand massage, and hair curl and styling showcases. Business students organized charity sales fundraisers, with students competing to make the most money for the MacMillan Cancer Support charity. Protective Services students had fun taking part in an outdoor problem-solving activity. Electrical students had a wiring competition.

ISG Ltd judged the electrical and plumbing competitions and sponsored a prize for the winner and runner up, the prize voucher for the winner was £175 and runners up got a £75 voucher. Gloster MEP also judged the electrical and plumbing competitions with ISG and have offered the winners work experience placements.

18-year-old Daniel Da Costa Lima from Romford came runner up in the electrical competition, commenting:

“I do not feel I am a smart guy, but I’m a very creative person, who takes the time and passion with their work, I really enjoyed taking part in the Skills Show. I have to say I was completely nervous and excited being there in front of the professional judges, but it was probably one of my best days. I thank the judges for picking me as runner up, it really means a lot, and a huge thanks to my lecturer, Sean.”

Zoe Richardson, Project Co-ordinator & Tech Lead at the College, expressed her excitement about the event, stating,

“We were really excited to welcome partners from industry, and our Governors to support the event and judge many of our competitions. Additionally, we were thrilled to have visitors from the DfE and WorldSkills UK.”

Mark Poland, National Competitions Contractor at WorldSkills UK, also praised the event, saying,

“It was a privilege to visit the Skills Show competition event at Barking and Dagenham College. These events are extremely beneficial to all students, being able to showcase their honed skills whilst developing their knowledge, gaining experience, working under pressure and sharing this experience with their peers. The competitions are of particular importance in developing skills in preparation for any assessments, enhancing their personal attributes or entering the Worldskills UK competitions to compete to be the best at their chosen skill in the UK.”

Digital Media studentWaedon Florence, 18, from Becontree said:

“At the Skills Show we had three people from industry who came in to judge our short films. They gave such positive and helpful feedback, giving us hints for improvements and ideas for things to consider. I was on the winning team and felt the day was so inspirational and really improved my knowledge and skills.”

Overall, the Skills Show at Barking & Dagenham College was a resounding success, providing students with a fantastic opportunity to develop and showcase their skills, boost their employability, and prepare for future competitions.