Skills Competition Wales success for Cardiff and Vale College students

Cardiff and Vale College students are among the very best in the country following a string of successes in the Skills Competition Wales finals, including four gold medals in one week.

The College hosted two days of Skills Competition Wales finals at its City Centre Campus on Dumballs Road in Cardiff and its Barry Campus on Colcot Road.

Cardiff and Vale College took part in the Visual Merchandising for the first time and Level 3 Fashion student, Hannah Needs from Newport won the gold medal. Over in Barry, Foundation Degree in Contemporary Textile Practices and Ceramics learners Ruth Johnston from Llantwit Major and Jonathan Harris from Barry won gold and bronze respectively in the Heritage Craft finals.

CAVC students Camelia Dima and Soraia Sequeira Gomes Robalo, both from Cardiff, travelled to Coleg Cambria’s Wrexham Campus to win gold and silver respectively in the Skills Competition Wales Beauty finals. Auto students Henry Dean from Cardiff and Oscar Green from Pontyclun won gold and silver respectively in the Skills Competition Wales Automotive Paint and Body final at Coleg Gwent.

Oscar Green said: “I was very shocked to win, I wasn’t expecting to do that well at all. I was nervous to start with but after I did the first one I got into it.”

Back in Cardiff, a team comprising of Independent Living Skills learners Sharna Byrne and Daisy Dimond from Barry and Mckenzie Webber from Cardiff won silver in the Inclusive Skills Media competition. Dionne Mullins from Cardiff was a winner in the Inclusive Skills Hairdressing contest, but positions have yet to be determined. Inclusive Skills is the equivalent skills competition for students with Additional Learning Needs.

Cardiff and Vale College Vice Principal Sharon James said: “Congratulations and a massive well done to all of our learners who took part in the Skills Competition Wales and Inclusive Skills finals. To have 11 of them win medals – and four of them – gold is an incredible achievement and shows that their hard work and determination had paid off.

“Staff from across the College have worked tirelessly to train the competitors, enabling them to compete to such a high standard, so I thank them for their real effort and commitment. This impressive haul of medals is a testament to that.”