Many of the UK's most talented apprentices, as well as students and employees, are going through their paces as they vie for a place in next year's WorldSkills competition in Leipzig.
The second round of qualifiers was held in the Midlands last week, focussing on twelve skill areas as diverse as jewellery, refrigeration, mechatronics, CNC milling and turning and auto body repair.
Forty competitors took practical examinations - under a great deal of pressure - at Northern Regional College, North Warwickshire and Hinckley College and City College Coventry.
North Warwickshire and Hinckley principal Marion Plant says that even though WorldSkills uses a lot of the college's resources, the benefits to her students and staff - as well as employers - makes it a very worthwhile investment.
“The increase in students and subject areas signing up to WorldSkills has risen once again", she says, "and more and more of our staff are now getting involved through formal channels. I was overwhelmed by the level of response that we had to the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) request for performance coaches.
“Our involvement has had numerous positive impacts – on our success rates firstly. Plus three staff have roles as performance coaches for skills categories that are alien to them. They are now coming back to the college with a plethora of new ideas, best practice and bags full of enthusiasm – which is also a motivator for other staff. Last, and most important from my perspective, is the transformational impact it has had on the culture of our college."
Next July's WorldSkills championships will see one competitor for each of 41 skills representing the UK at Leipzig, and after a series of competitions and events next March, those 41 competitors will be selected to undergo a specialised training programme with the assistance of trainers, performance coaches and experts, as well as a dedicated training manager for each of them.
