South Staffs College students to benefit from WorldSkills masterclass

South Staffordshire College has added to its impressive tally of successes and accolades with the award of funding from the IfL (Institute for Learning) to deliver a WorldSkills Masterclass programme.

WorldSkills is the leading global organisation for skills development and competitive performance in vocational subjects, with national and international competitions often seen as the skills equivalent of the Olympics. South Staffordshire College has an excellent track record with the organisation, producing regional, national and international winners across its curriculum areas from Accountancy to Hair and Beauty.

The Masterclass proposal, described as “a very impressive plan” by a representative of the IfL, will be implemented by a team drawn from the highest levels of the College’s Senior Leadership team, including Chief Executive Principal Graham Morley.

It will focus on helping tutors boost their students’ motivation and performance through competition and enhanced tutoring and will be run by WorldSkills coaches. It is designed to engage staff in the whole competition ethos, writing competition briefs, preparing students, running competitions, marking and giving feedback aimed at creating a sustainable model that can be rolled out further to engage staff and students.

Kirk Hookham, South Staffordshire College’s Deputy Director of Curriculum and Campus Lead for Tamworth said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to engage directly in a WorldSkills Masterclass programme and benefit from enhanced coaching leading to the students being able to show case their skills in this exciting event.”

Director of Commercial Operations at South Staffordshire College Michelle Dowse says, “Kirk Hookham and his team have produced an outstanding proposal which will ensure the very highest standards of tutoring. Most important of all, it has at its very heart the skills levels and achievements of our students, their success in the WorldSkills programme and their future as the next generation of entrepreneurs and executives.