We collect personal data:

  • to enable us to deliver the services you request, such as booking tickets for one of our events or signing up for regular communications via our newsletter
  • to manage registrations for our competitions and the competitors who progress into the national and international teams
  • to communicate with our stakeholders and commercial partners
  • to carry out research and insight that enables us to create appropriate outreach programmes and meet our funding obligations
  • to provide answers to your questions and deliver information that you have requested
  • for our internal record keeping
  • to talk to you about other similar services and products we offer that might be of interest to you.

1 – Our privacy promise

Data protection laws instruct us to tell you very specific things. These are quite complicated and we will do our very best to explain them as simply as possible.

  1. The protection of your privacy and personal information is important to us. We make sure that not only do we have appropriate security measures in place, but that any other organisation we work with to provide a service also meets the same standard as us.
  2. We will respect your privacy. You should receive marketing emails only from us. We will make sure that the boxes you need to tick if you are happy to receive marketing are presented clearly and at an appropriate time.
  3. We will make it clear at the point when we request your information, what we are collecting it for and how we are going to use it.
  4. We will collect and use your personal information only if we have your permission or we have sensible business reasons for doing so, such as collecting enough information to deliver the service you have requested.
  5. We will collect the smallest amount of information possible from you to deliver the service you have requested.
  6. We will be clear in our dealings with you as to what information about you we will collect and how we will use it.
  7. We will use personal information only for the purposes for which it was originally collected and we will make sure we store and delete it securely.
  8. Our websites are accessible via the internet. Please remember that if you post any comments or links on any of our sites that they can be read and accessed by anyone and everyone.
  9. If we, our service providers, or our commercial partners transfer any information out of the European Economic Area (EEA), it will only be done with the relevant legal instruments or permissions being in place.

2 – The information we collect

We collect personal information from you:

  • when you ask us to deliver a service, e.g. you register for a competition, book tickets for an event or sign up for any of our newsletters
  • when you contact us for information about our services, our competitions or events
  • when engage with us in relation to our competitions or events, or participate in our research
  • when you work with us in a commercial capacity
  • when you use our website
  • through cookies
  • if you choose to reveal information in public postings.

This may include, but is not limited to, the following information about you:

  • your name (including your first names and surname)
  • your email address
  • other details specific to a particular service or which may be provided to us by you or a third party in the course of delivering that service such as transaction details
  • information about the browser and device you are using collected by our cookies. This may include your IP address, device unique identifiers, operating system, browser type and network information
  • information about your location if you have enabled location services on your device
  • sensitive personal data but only where you have provided your explicit consent for the collection of and use of such sensitive personal data.

3 – Why we collect data

Bear with us, but this is the place where we need to tell you about  the legalities that underpin our data processing activities.  We have tried to explain this as simply as possible, but if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask:

  • where you give us information so that we can provide a service such as tickets for entry into one of our events, or for a workshop or if you are an exhibitor or judge at one of our events we process your data under contract, i.e. we have to collect information from you or your organisation to fulfil the service you have requested or for you to fulfil the service we need
  • for competition entries, the original information is given to us under contract, but then we ask you additional questions, some of which involve sensitive data and we do this under consent. If you become a national or international team member, we manage most of your data under the original legal bases of contract and consent, and a few bits under vital interest (i.e. your health and next of kin data when you are travelling to international events)
  • when you sign up to receive one of our newsletters or communications about our events and activities, this is done under consent
  • when we want to talk to you about other products and services that are closely related to things you may have requested or bought from us in the past, or; if we would like you to participate in a survey about our services, or; we want to invite you to our events as a guest or as a commercial partner, or; we need contact you about content you have provided then we use legitimate interests.

We will always make it as easy as possible for you to opt out of stuff you don’t want, providing it doesn’t restrict our ability to provide you with the thing you have requested.

4 – Profiling

Sometimes we use little parts of your information to target the messages we send you, for instance, we might use your location to send you details of a regional competition. This is done by humans not robots.

5 – How long do you hold onto my information for?

Sometimes a bigger authority than us, says we have to keep it for a certain amount of time. So we do as we are told.

Otherwise we determine the length of time we keep your data, based on why you gave it to us in the first place. For example if you visited one of our events, we’d keep your information, to let you know about the next one.

When we don’t need to keep your data anymore, we do one of three things:

  • we erase it
  • we keep a small amount because we have to, and keep it safe, sometimes disguising it
  • if you say you don’t want to hear from us ever again, we keep the minimum amount information to make sure we leave you alone.

6 – Children’s data

We do not knowingly collect or store any personal information of children under the age of 16, because the mechanisms whereby we collect personal information are not applicable to this age group.

7 – Making changes to your personal information

Another little bit of legal stuff: you can rectify, erase, object to or restrict the way your information is handled without undue delay. You can also ask to access the data we hold on you.

When you make a request, we may ask you for some specific information to help us confirm your identity and ensure you have the right to exercise these rights. We will make it easy and secure for you to share this information with us.

You may also request your data in a useable electronic format so that you can use it elsewhere

To make changes to, or update your personal information, access it or ask us to change the way we contact you please email us.

8 – Who we share data with

We do not and will not, sell or share your data at any time to anyone else for their own marketing purposes.

If you are a visitor or potential visitor to one of our events, we will share your details with our contracted communication partners so that they can:

  • tell you about upcoming events
  • direct you to the places where you can book tickets
  • keep you up to date with what is happening at the events, including sending you the latest news.

If you are an exhibitor or sponsor at one of our events, we will share your details with our approved suppliers in the below areas:

  • core exhibition services (stand build, electrics, graphics, furniture and lighting)
  • venue services (catering, room hire, gas, water & waste, barriers, cleaning etc) – The NEC Birmingham
  • IT and internet
  • freight, lifting & storage
  • audio visual equipment.

If you are a competitor at one of our events, we will share your details with:

  • the competition organising partner responsible for making a competition happen
  • training managers and training manager assistants
  • training Managers, assistant training managers, physio, psychologist, performance coaches
  • other specialists and organisations commissioned by WorldSkills UK in supporting a competitor to take part in the WorldSkills UK Training & Development Programme.

9 – Cookies

Cookies are little packets of data that sit on our website, in some cases to make it work, and in some cases to add additional services. For more information about cookies, how to look after them, even how to turn them off, please visit our page on cookies.

10 – Google analytics

We use Google Analytics on our sites for anonymous reporting of site usage and for advertising on the site. If you would like to opt-out of Google Analytics monitoring your behaviour on our sites please use this link. 

11 – Who we are

WorldSkills UK is a partnership between businesses, education and governments that accelerates young people’s careers giving them the best start in work and life. WorldSkills UK is a registered charity (Charity number 1001586) and company limited by guarantee (company number 02535199). The registered address is WorldSkills UK, Third Floor, 25 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1LW.

If you would like to contact WorldSkills UK, please email or telephone us on +44(0)800 612 0742.

Our Data Protection Officer service is provided by Data Oversight Ltd, Kings Head House, 15 London End, Beaconsfield HP9 2HN. You can contact the DPO by email at dpo@worldskillsuk.org

12 – Your right to complain

If you are not satisfied with the way we have handled a request regarding your information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority – details of which are given below:

Information Commissioner’s Office 
Telephone: +44 303 123 1113

13 – Changes to the privacy policy

If we make changes to our privacy policy we will show you what they are here. If these changes are significant, we may also choose to email relevant individuals with new details. If we are required by law, we will obtain your consent to make these changes.

Changes to this policy by date

  • 5 September 2019 – Policy reviewed and minor text changes made to Sections 1, 2 and 3
  • 5 June 2018 – Section 6 updated with visitor to events information.
  • 31 May 2018 – Complaint url updated from ICO website.
  • 2018 – New company privacy policy created.

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