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SRC Retains ‘Best in UK’ Title at WorldSkills UK for Second Consecutive Year

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Southern Regional College

21st Nov 2023

Following a tense week of competitions, Southern Regional College has been named as the best performing College in the UK for the second consecutive year at the WorldSkills UK competition.  The College topped the leaderboard in both points awarded and for the highest number of medals won.   

SRC students competed across multiple venues in the Greater Manchester area, with results being announced on Friday evening in a glittering awards ceremony held at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, hosted by presenter Edith Bowman. 

In a livestreamed ceremony, competitors from the College were revealed as winning the most medals, bringing home twelve medals in total; five gold, three silver and four bronze. Following these outstanding results, the College is able to lead with the title “Best in the UK” for the second consecutive year. 

WorldSkills UK is a partnership between education providers, industry and the UK government to champion skill sets and raise industry standards.  The competition celebrates the best of young talent and even provides young people with the opportunity to progress to European and WorldSkills competition series.  

Students have been undertaking intense training for months prior to the event, taking on additional study and practice sessions under the guidance of the College’s committed lecturing staff.  Their commitment and dedication to the competition has been rewarded with an amazing medal tally at this year’s competition. Students showcased their technical expertise and creative problem-solving skills, to excel in their chosen field. 

Winning students and their employers include:  

Name  Hometown  Competition  Medal  Employer 
Rebecca Liggett  Dungannon  Laboratory Technician  Gold  Almac 
Ross Graham  Banbridge  Automation  Gold  Regen Robotics 
Mykenzie Cartmill  Armagh  Beauty Therapy Practitioner  Gold  Belle Beauty 
Oisin McKerr  Lurgan  Automotive Refinishing  Gold  Porters Body Shop 
Carter McKnight  Moira  Automation  Gold  Randox 
Hannah Hillis  Poyntzpass, Newry  Health and Social Care  Silver  Conway Health Care (Brooklands Nursing home) 
Sean Treanor  Tallavard, Co. Monaghan  Automation  Silver  Norbrook Laboratories 
Neil King  Warrenpoint, Newry  Automation  Silver  Norbrook Laboratories 
Annabelle Hughes  Loughgall, Armagh  Culinary Arts  Bronze   Ghan House, Carlingford 
John Doherty   Portadown  Mechatronics  Bronze  Concrete Batching Systems 
Jason McVerry  Belleeks, Newry  Mechatronics  Bronze  Red Rock Machinery 
Conor McDonnell  Armagh  Electrical Installation  Bronze  W. Nesbit Electrical 

 

Lindsay Bronte, Organisation Manager at Southern Regional College commented: 

What an unbelievable performance by team SRC that follows months of hard work and dedication by the students and staff alike. I applaud students and staff for their commitment to excellence.  Competing is a fantastic achievement for the students, but to see our team return home with 12 medals and be recognised at UK level for their skills and dedication is incredible. Well done to all involved.” 

Raymond Sloan, Principal & CEO of Southern Regional College commented: 

“I am thrilled to announce that Southern Regional College, for the second year running, has soared to the top of the WorldSkills UK leader board, both for the number of points achieved and for the number of medals achieved. This is a testament to the unparalleled dedication and exceptional talents of our students and staff. Through their relentless pursuit of excellence, Team SRC has not only secured the top spot but also earned the highest number of medals. This outstanding achievement reflects the transformative learning environment at Southern Regional College, where innovation, skills development, and teaching excellence converge to shape the employees, leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. As an entire college community, we take pride in this momentous accomplishment, celebrating the hard work and commitment of everyone who studies and works at Southern Regional College”.  

Following this tremendous success, the College is eagerly awaiting results from the SkillBuild competition running from Tuesday 21st to Thursday 22nd November in Milton Keynes.