Triumph for Exeter and Weston Colleges’ Health and Social Care Students at WorldSkills 2017 Heats

Competitors from the Exeter College and Weston College scooped the first prizes in the third and fourth qualifying heats in this year’s WorldSkills UK 2017 Health and Social Care Competition, which were held at South Devon College and are part of the world’s largest vocational skills competition.

The second two of six qualifying heats were held on the 27^th and 28^th June 2017 where this year’s competitors from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, were able to demonstrate their skills in delivering health care in a competitive environment. This year’s competitions are organised by Profiles4Care and sponsored by the NHS Leadership academy.

Heat 3 on 27^th June resulted in the following winners:

1^st place – Alice Stowcroft, Exeter College

2^nd place – Brooke Davidson, Coleg Sir Gar

3rd place – Olivia Hughes, Coleg Sir Gar

Heat 4 on 28^th June ended with the following competitors achieving:

1^st place – Alexandra Taylor, Weston College

2^nd place – Isobel Fearnhead-Clark, Highbury College

3^rd place – Rebecca Banks, Shipley College

Alexandra Taylor, winner of Heat 4, said; “I’m in shock, couldn’t have done it without my tutor and team mates.  The win feels amazing.”

Organised by Profiles4Care Ltd, the WorldSkills UK competitions are part of WorldSkills International, the world’s largest vocational skills competition. The competition aims to find the best adult health and social care workers in the country. A total of six regional qualifying heats are taking place between May and July, with the eight highest scorers from across the country going forward to the National Finals at the Skills Show, being held at the NEC in Birmingham this November.

Over the course of the day competitors needed to demonstrate the delivery of excellent health care in a mix of written tests and live activities, assessed by a panel of expert judges from across the country. The activities, which includes working with older people and people with learning disabilities, were devised by Profiles4Care Ltd to replicate situations which health and social care workers would be expected to face in their everyday roles.