Internal National Competitions dashboard

What are WorldSkills UK Competitions?

The competitions are designed by industry experts and help young people grow personally and professionally by developing their technical and employability skills.

The competition-based development programme is proven to upskill and develop young people from all backgrounds and abilities.

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89%

of previous entrants say they improved their technical skills after taking part

89%

said they improved their personal and employability skills

92%

said they can apply the skills they developed to their education, work or other parts of their life

60%

of average earnings of those who participated in WorldSkills UK’s competition development programmes were found to be higher than those of a comparable peer group.

Resources and Information

How competitions work

Competing in skills contests offers individuals and teams a chance to showcase vocational talents through real-world tasks. Expert evaluations based on predefined criteria determine the highest scores, advancing participants to the next stage. These competitions, aligned with apprenticeship standards, foster learning and development by emphasising core skills like teamwork, problem-solving, time management, and performance under pressure—qualities highly valued by employers.

The benefits of getting involved

Competition activity develops employability and technical skills to high levels of excellence and enhances capacity in attributes valued by employers such as teamwork, problem-solving, time-management, judgement and working under pressure.

For educators

Competition activity stretches teachers, trainers and assessors as well as learners and are a great development (CPD) opportunity for staff – updating and extending their subject specialist and pedagogical skills and knowledge

Greater scope for creativity in teaching, training and learning techniques
Opportunities to benchmark and learn from peers
Raises the profile of Apprenticeships and vocational learning
Access to additional equipment and resources
Supports the move from competence to excellence
Provides evidence for inspections

For young people

At every stage of the journey, WorldSkills UK Competitions contribute to participants’ personal and professional growth or preparation for employment. As well as building on their technical skill set, we help competitors become well-rounded individuals by evolving their professional and personal skills throughout the process.

Helps to achieve qualification goals
Develops personal, technical and employability skills
Raises aspirations and ambitions
Improves self-esteem and confidence
Builds on strengths and identifies areas for development
Developing networks with peers and industry

For employers

Competitions are unique in developing the skills that employers need in their workplace. The mix of technical, employability and personal skills is a key strength of the competition model. By having access to global insights and standards, competitors will be stretched to aspire to the higher-level skills necessary for individuals to compete in the national and global economies and bring that expertise back into the workplace, enhancing existing processes and systems.