Hopwood Hall College and University Centre’s unwavering commitment to raising aspirations, and ultimately to improve learner outcomes, led to the college applying to join the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence.
Run in partnership with specialist awarding organisation NCFE, the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence is a workforce development programme. It empowers educators and leaders to use international best practice to drive excellence in technical education and apprenticeships.
Raising Qualifications, Reducing Inequality
A key challenge faced by Hopwood Hall College and University Centre is closing the skills gap in Rochdale. The borough has been identified as lagging behind the rest of Greater Manchester in terms of the number of adults that hold Level 3 qualifications and above. The college is working to address this challenge by ensuring curriculum provision meets current employer demand for skills and this is where the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence is helping to deliver significant impact.
Bridging the skills gap through competition-based model of assessment
Chris Shaw, Advanced Practitioner Digital Technologist and Games Development Lecturer, represented Hopwood Hall College on the Centre of Excellence Endorsed Trainer programme. He speaks passionately about the experience, saying it equipped him with a wealth of new tools and insights that he’s now using to elevate teaching and learning back at the college. He said:
“We’ve embedded three key milestone assessment points throughout the academic year, enabling all departments to use WorldSkills UK’s pressure testing as part of learner progression. This approach not only supports departments in striving for excellence but also ensures students are better prepared for the demands of the workplace.”
Chris believes the strength of incorporating the pressure testing into assessment is that it allows teaching staff to plan tests and simulations as would be used and expected in industry. The practical and project-based assessments mirror the application of skills that employers need. The data produced from the assessments allows for staff to work with learners to target areas of strengths and for improvement. Learners then have individual requirements tested again to ensure they have improved and developed further.
This strategy has been successfully rolled out across various levels and courses, including T Levels, at both campuses. Chris recalls a learner, who studied Creative Media at Level 1, with low confidence and who wasn’t expected to progress to Level 2. The inclusion of pressure testing in their assessment allowed for continual feedback which not only increased their technical skills but positively impacted on their confidence. They are now studying at Level 3 and applying for university.
Showcasing and celebrating learners at Skills Week
Hopwood Hall College and University Centre run an annual celebration of skills, in which inter college competitions take place. Involvement with the Centre of Excellence has seen this week grow in terms of number of competitions and learner involvement. This has resulted in more learners being entered and progressing in WorldSkills UK national competitions, providing a further opportunity for the college to benchmark their learners against others from across the UK.
Staff at the college have developed the inter-college competitions and prepared learners using resources from the WorldSkills UK Learning Lab. They have also collaborated with WorldSkills UK to prepare competition briefs and pressure tests for
lower level and other courses not included in the WorldSkills UK Competition portfolio, ensuring all learners can benefit from world-class skills development.
Julia Heap, Principal and Chief Executive, Hopwood Hall College said: “At Hopwood Hall College we are ambitious for all of our students and staff. Our vision to ‘Bring out the best in you’ comes to life through our active participation in WorldSkills UK and our proud status as a member of the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence. These programmes drive excellence across our entire curriculum. Rochdale is a vibrant place to learn and work, and by closing attainment gaps, we unlock opportunity, boost productivity, and build lasting prosperity. At the heart of this progress lies the power of technical skills.”
About Hopwood Hall and University Centre
Hopwood Hall College is a further education college in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. It offers a wider range of vocational and technical study programmes aimed at young people aged 16-19, with university level courses, apprenticeship programmes and adult education.
Ofsted Rating: Good (June 2023)
How long has the college been a member of the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence: 12 months +
