Two Coatbridge students among New College Lanarkshire’s WorldSkills UK finalists
Imogen Wright and Taylor Williamson, both 21, will be vying for medals at annual skills competition next month
By Ian Bunting 20:50, 31 OCT 2021
Imogen Wright and Taylor Williamson will join 22 other finalists from NCL in contention for the annual skills competition which involves students and apprentices from across the UK vying for medals in their chosen trade discipline.
This year, unlike any previous event, the finals will be staged at 23 venues in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales, with NCL’s Motherwell campus one of the chosen venues.
Imogen Wright is a finalist in the mechanical engineering: CAD category of the event.
The 21-year-old studied HND computer aided drafting and design at the college’s Motherwell campus.
Imogen told Lanarkshire Live : “Since starting college I have had the best support from every lecturer in the CAD team which has helped my skills get to the level that they are.
“I feel proud to have been selected as a finalist for the competition and grateful that my hard work over the past few years is paying off.
“I’ve seen the level of talent and commitment from past competitors, so I am looking forward to getting started and ready for the challenge.
“I think competing in this competition is a great opportunity to test and develop my technical skills whilst improving being able to work under pressure, which I’m sure will serve my career well.”
Taylor Williamson is a finalist in the digital construction discipline at the 2021 finals.
The 21-year-old studied HND computer aided architectural design and technology (CAADT) at NCL’s Motherwell campus.
Taylor told us : “I’m ecstatic to be a part of the NCL team competing in the WorldSkills UK final.
“I see WorldSkills as a fantastic way of proving our skills, to not only potential employers, but also to ourselves.
“The competition also puts the digital construction course out there and helps raise awareness for this part of the construction sector.”
We told you earlier in the week how the college has 24 finalists in contention for the annual skills competition which involves students and apprentices from across the UK vying for medals in their chosen trade discipline.
This year, unlike any previous year, the finals will be staged at 23 venues in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales, with New College Lanarkshire’s Motherwell Campus being one of the chosen venues.
NCL is set to host seven of WorldSkills UK’s 64 disciplines at its Motherwell Campus on November 17 and 18, showcasing many of the digital skills taught at the college.
Most finalists representing the college will compete at its Motherwell Campus, with two students travelling to compete in commercial make-up at Coleg Cambria in Wales, and in the electronic security systems competition at the Skills for Security Offices in Cheshire.
NCL has claimed the title of ‘Best in the UK’ at WorldSkills UK’s national finals in 2013, 2014 and 2019, in addition to finishing in the top three places in 2015, 2017 and 2018. There were no WorldSkills UK regional qualifiers or finals held in 2020 due to the pandemic.
