USW hosts WorldSkills UK National Finals in Cardiff

The University of South Wales has welcomed some of the UK’s most talented young people this week, as a host venue for the WorldSkills UK National Finals.

Five competitions, including 3D Digital Game Art; Accountancy Technician; Digital Media Production; Graphic Design; and Web Development, took place at USW’s Cardiff Campus, as the finals came to Wales for the first time.

The WorldSkills UK finals are the UK’s largest vocational skills event, attracting thousands of competitors and visitors locally and nationally. The 2025 event featured 417 competitors from across the UK, including a record-breaking number of 122 Welsh competitors.

The skills competitions provide employers, colleges and independent training providers with a proven and powerful way to upskill and develop young people from all backgrounds and abilities, with the national finals represent the culmination of months of dedication, talent and training.

Adam Williams, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Creative Industries at USW, said: “We are delighted to have hosted the WorldSkills UK National Finals at our Cardiff Campus, highlighting our commitment to providing students with the skills for their chosen career in business and the creative industries. The Finals have showcased our state-of-the-art facilities while inspiring the next generation of talent to achieve their full potential on a national stage.”

The Graphic Design competition saw Jess Sweet and Cambell Raine, both aged 17, represent the Northern School of Art in Middlesbrough. Their brief, set by global media agency Wavemaker, challenged competitors to come up with an advertising campaign for hair styling brand Remington.

Jess said: “I love graphic design as it’s so varied; you can do so much within the subject area. My strengths are in branding and web design, so I’m hoping to show the judges that I can create a completely new, attention-grabbing campaign. I’ve decided to use neon colours and include gender-fluid models to show that people can wear their hair however they want to.”

Cambell added: “It’s been a really fun but challenging process so far. We’ve been tasked with creating branding, poster and sticker designs, as well as a mirror graphic. I’ve enjoyed playing around with the usual Remington style and mixing things up to bring fresh ideas to how people view hair.”

Katy Rushton, Programme Leader for Animation at UCEN Manchester, was part of the competition delivery team for Graphic Design. She said: “The students have been so enthusiastic about this brief. They are working with a well-known brand, but we’re asking them to think about things in a different way, and deal with themes of identity, so to see their ideas come to life has been really exciting.”

In the Accountancy Technician competition, Frederick Klingslick, 21, and Jonathan Painter, 19, both trainee accountants from Suffolk, team up to tackle a brief set by international finance education provider Kaplan. Competitors were tasked with solving a range of problems for a client, using business strategies and planning to come up with efficient outcomes.

Amanda Longdon, Head of Student Experience and Computer-Based Exams at Kaplan, said: “This is the fifth year we have partnered with WorldSkills, and each year the competitors just get stronger. We’re taking them out of their comfort zone but they have taken it all in their stride.

“As accountants, they will need to work with clients to solve problems, which may include sustainability or ethical issues; it’s about more than just numbers. We’re also including aspects of AI in this year’s competition, which is a brand new element set to challenge them to use budgeting tools in different ways.”

The Digital Media Production competition saw students work in teams to create a short film, using USW’s creative facilities over two days.

One of the teams, from NESCOT College in London, was made up of Tilly Gasteratou, Joe Clark, Chloe Vickers and Mia Bouchez, who made a film about chronophobia – an extreme fear of passing time. It focused on someone who is panicked by issues such as climate change, as they feel helpless in the fight to slow it down.

Another team of competitors, representing North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, saw Benjamin Walton, Brett Harrison, Jack Littlejones and Ethan Woolstencroft create a film raising awareness of men’s mental health.

Brett said: “As November is Men’s Mental Health Month, we decided to focus on a young man who is finding it difficult to manage his emotions, and his experience of speaking to a therapist. We hope to make a positive impact with the judges by dealing with these important issues and making them relatable. We’re so impressed with the campus and enjoyed being able to film in such a cool place!”

The results of the WorldSkills UK National Finals will shortly be published at https://www.worldskillsuk.org/national-finals-2025/