Overview

This competition directly links to a job as a makeup artist specifically in film, tv and media. It will test skills across a range of makeup and SFX applications. Having the range of skills is crucial to gaining a role as a trainee in TV, Film and Media which will be the first step into a career as a Makeup artist. 

The skills you need to demonstrate

  • Professional demeanour

     

  • Safe working practices

  • Professional attitude

  • Effective interaction with the client

  • High level of skill and dexterity

  • Management of time allocation

  • Ergonomic working methods

Useful resources

Prepare for competition success

Our library of endorsed local skills competition briefs ‘benchmarking assessments’ helps prepare learners to build technical skills, productivity, and mindset competencies for national competition success, including employability progression pathways.

Paired with the benchmarking tracker, educators can record progress, identifying strengths and target areas for improvement. Together, they offer a reliable, standards-led framework, creating a sustainable model for skills development that supports educators to empower learners to be competition ready.

Access on the Learning Lab

Entry criteria

  • Competitors should be working towards a level 3 qualification in a media makeup and hair related course.
  • They don’t need to have industry experience but any they do have will stand them in an excellent position.
  • Competitors should be entered at the tutors discretion.
  • Organisations are advised to enter up to 5 competitors at the entry stage. Use the pre-competition activity to shortlist internally at your institution before entering competitors into the main competition.
  • Model used must NOT be tutors or staff from the competitors college institution.
  • This is an individual competition and competitors will compete against their own college class mates along with other colleges nationally.
  • If an institution has a large number of competitors that advance to the National Qualifiers, each organisation will be required to nominate two primary competitors and one reserve per campus. This approach ensures fair representation for all institutions, regardless of their size.

How it works

Registrations open on Monday 2 March 2026, 9am and will close Friday 27 March 2026, midnight.

Entry Stage will be released on Monday 3 with a final deadline of 25 April, 2025.

Qualifies to be held between May and June 2026

Coleg Cambria Deeside
York College

Other venues are to be confirmed.

To help finalists prepare ahead of the UK Final, we will provide relevant technical training and share mindset development techniques, to support them to remain focused on achieving success.

Prepare students and apprentices by engaging with our benchmarking resources to master their skills and mindset masterclasses to build confidence and resilience on the WorldSkills UK Learning Lab.

The National Finals are scheduled to take place in Wales during the week commencing 16 November 2026.

Contact details

competitions@cambria.ac.uk

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