<p paraeid="{9f539a15-e306-4532-b02d-2b9ab5f7ec30}{154}" paraid="2129286135"><a href="https://www.ucw.ac.uk/">University&nbsp;Centre Weston&nbsp;(UCW)</a> computing learner, Jack&nbsp;Kimmins,&nbsp;will be representing the UK&nbsp;after&nbsp;recently&nbsp;being&nbsp;announced as the gold medal winner at the national WorldSkills&nbsp;Web Design&nbsp;finals.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{9f539a15-e306-4532-b02d-2b9ab5f7ec30}{208}" paraid="744553904"><a href="https://www.worldskillsuk.org/">WorldSkills UK</a> is an independent charity that works with employers, education and governments, supporting young people across the world via competitions-based training, testing their ability to achieve world-class standards in the biennial ‘skills Olympics’.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{9f539a15-e306-4532-b02d-2b9ab5f7ec30}{214}" paraid="1350750527">Over 3,000&nbsp;learners&nbsp;registered to take part in the UK-wide competitions in&nbsp;March 2021&nbsp;and Jack&nbsp;was&nbsp;just&nbsp;one of four hundred&nbsp;who made it into the finals, which&nbsp;was&nbsp;split into 64 disciplines.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{9f539a15-e306-4532-b02d-2b9ab5f7ec30}{244}" paraid="631212351">The Web Design&nbsp;category&nbsp;finals,&nbsp;hosted by&nbsp;the&nbsp;Weston College&nbsp;Group&nbsp;at <a href="https://www.westonwintergardens.co.uk/">The Winter Gardens in&nbsp;Weston-super-Mare</a>,&nbsp;was between nine competitors&nbsp;from across the country&nbsp;and&nbsp;took&nbsp;place over two days. The finalists were tasked with&nbsp;building&nbsp;a website, employing their skills of html, JavaScript&nbsp;and front/back-end coding to bring the detailed brief to fruition.&nbsp;The final products were then anonymously judged by a panel of digital experts from renown organisation Jisc, Airbus and the UK Hydrographic Office.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{7b9ec851-d063-49c6-a1b5-32de6bd364dd}{51}" paraid="1354010774">After the challenging finals&nbsp;were completed, the winners were announced at a <a href="https://www.worldskillsuk.org/news/congratulations-to-all-our-finalists… ceremony</a> hosted by TV presenter Steph McGovern from her&nbsp;Channel 4&nbsp;“Packed Lunch”&nbsp;studio on Friday 26 November.&nbsp;It was here that Jack was announced as the national gold&nbsp;medallist.&nbsp;Also&nbsp;Level 3 Apprentice Luke Merchant&nbsp;a Weston College student&nbsp;was&nbsp;named&nbsp;as the Silver&nbsp;medallist&nbsp;in the Automotive Technology finals.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{7b9ec851-d063-49c6-a1b5-32de6bd364dd}{101}" paraid="151229628">Congratulations also goes to Weston College students Mircea&nbsp;Ionescu&nbsp;and Amelia Lee who also competed in the Web Design and Beauty Practitioner finals respectively.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{7b9ec851-d063-49c6-a1b5-32de6bd364dd}{101}" paraid="151229628">Currently in his third year, Jack is studying <a href="https://www.ucw.ac.uk/courses/applied-computing-bsc-hons/">Applied Computing BSc (Hons)</a>&nbsp;at UCW. This degree level course is part of the <a href="https://www.weiot.ac.uk/">West of England Institute of Technology</a>, a collaborative partnership between education providers and businesses from across the West of England,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>collaborating to design and deliver flexible, higher-level technical learning.</p>

<p paraeid="{7b9ec851-d063-49c6-a1b5-32de6bd364dd}{111}" paraid="318809884">Jack commented:&nbsp;“I feel very proud,&nbsp;I was really shocked when my name was read out! My web development&nbsp;knowledge&nbsp;has&nbsp;grown&nbsp;throughout&nbsp;doing this project&nbsp;as well as my time management skills.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{7b9ec851-d063-49c6-a1b5-32de6bd364dd}{147}" paraid="1398143447">“The finals were a really memorable occasion and I’m looking forward to training for the next stage.”&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{7b9ec851-d063-49c6-a1b5-32de6bd364dd}{153}" paraid="1020292732">Learners that achieve the gold medals at the national finals then get invited to join the UK WorldSkills Squad.&nbsp;Not&nbsp;dissimilar&nbsp;to Team GB for the Olympics, the gold&nbsp;medallists&nbsp;will be then go on to&nbsp;compete&nbsp;in the international finals which will&nbsp;take place in France in 2022.</p>

<p paraeid="{7b9ec851-d063-49c6-a1b5-32de6bd364dd}{187}" paraid="1981815977">Jack&nbsp;continues:&nbsp;“I will be now representing the country in the field of Web Design. I feel very proud doing so and I’m going to try my absolute hardest.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{7b9ec851-d063-49c6-a1b5-32de6bd364dd}{201}" paraid="1058763096">“The staff at UCW have helped me&nbsp;immeasurably.&nbsp;I’d like to thank my tutor Jason Hill for&nbsp;all&nbsp;his hard work and help.&nbsp;I’d recommend everyone gives it a go and tries to push themselves with this opportunity.”&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{7b9ec851-d063-49c6-a1b5-32de6bd364dd}{229}" paraid="1041645576">Weston College’s involvement with WorldSkills&nbsp;is just one&nbsp;of the&nbsp;exclusive&nbsp;opportunities available&nbsp;to learners&nbsp;through their&nbsp;newly launched&nbsp;<a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwesto…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Career Excellence Hubs.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{152bad5e-d2e9-45f0-acdf-a7b299f62f53}{13}" paraid="329265915">At the College each subject area forms its own specific Career Excellence Hub, endorsed by relevant sector employers which help to create a study programme with lots of career boosting benefits,&nbsp;including&nbsp;WorldSkills competing opportunities.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{152bad5e-d2e9-45f0-acdf-a7b299f62f53}{23}" paraid="1500131203">Weston College Group Principal and Chief Executive, Dr Paul Phillips CBE added:&nbsp;“Many congratulations to all of our WorldSkills winners. I am so proud&nbsp;of all of you, representing our college and&nbsp;confirming your amazing talents. We wish Jack the very best of luck with the international stages, it truly is a fantastic achievement.”&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{152bad5e-d2e9-45f0-acdf-a7b299f62f53}{43}" paraid="1955587570">Deputy CEO of WorldSkills UK, Ben Blackledge, says that success in UK-wide finals is a litmus test for the future of the economy.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{152bad5e-d2e9-45f0-acdf-a7b299f62f53}{49}" paraid="1460574395">“These young people are a real inspiration. They are an example to us all and are to be congratulated. To have excelled after such a difficult year shows their dedication and drive is second to none.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{152bad5e-d2e9-45f0-acdf-a7b299f62f53}{55}" paraid="1289988791">“Skills are the lifeblood of every economy, creating high quality jobs, rewarding careers, inward investment and growth.”&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{152bad5e-d2e9-45f0-acdf-a7b299f62f53}{61}" paraid="1890023431">A huge congratulations to all of our WorldSkills finalists and medal winners. We are so excited to follow Jack’s journey to&nbsp;represent the UK in&nbsp;France for the WorldSkills finals!</p>

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<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">On 11th and 12th of November 2021, <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/compu… 3 Computing</a> learner Mircea Ionescu will be competing in the grand finals of the prestigious WorldSkills national&nbsp;competition!</p>

<p><a href="https://www.worldskillsuk.org/">WorldSkills&nbsp;UK</a>&nbsp;is a biannual ‘skills&nbsp;olympics’ that supports young people by testing their ability to achieve world-class standards. This national event normally takes place in the Birmingham NEC, however this year the 64 different competition&nbsp;areas are being hosted separately at across the country.</p>

<p>Mircea is one of nine students across the country to have made it to the finals in Web Design, which will be hosted by Weston College at <a href="https://www.westonwintergardens.co.uk/">The Winter Gardens Pavilion in Weston-super-Mare.</a></p>

<p>We caught up with the Nailsea School alumni who added:</p>

<h3><em>"I first heard about World Skills from my Website Development Lecturer in my first year, who encouraged me to take part in it.</em></h3>

<h3><em>"In order to get selected for the World Skills finals, I had to design a professional looking website during the qualification stage of the competition. Then during the semi-finals I had to complete the full front-end development of a website testing my skills in HTML and CSS production.</em></h3>

<h3><em>"I am very excited to have been chosen to compete in the World Skills finals, I also feel a great deal of pride in the recognition of the hard work of both my lecturers and I. &nbsp;</em></h3>

<h3><em>"Weston College has played a very important role in my journey to the World Skills finals, all the skills I have learnt during my time here are being tested during this competition. My tutor, Jason Hill, has helped me to get ready for this with great coaching and competition preparation.</em></h3>

<h3><em>"I have learnt so much already during my time with the World Skills contest. I understand how to work under the pressure of time constraints better than ever and I have vastly expanded my knowledge of development languages such as PHP and Javascript."</em></h3>

<p>This exciting news is just one of the fantastic&nbsp;career&nbsp;enhancing opportunities&nbsp;available at the college, through the&nbsp;newly launched&nbsp;<a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwesto… Excellence Hubs.</a>&nbsp;</p>

<p>At the College each subject area forms&nbsp;its&nbsp;own specific Career Excellence Hub, endorsed by relevant sector employers which&nbsp;help to create a study programme with lots of career boosting benefits, WorldSkills competing opportunities is one of these.</p>

<p>Mircea will also be joined in the finals by <a href="https://www.ucw.ac.uk">University Centre Weston (UCW)</a> student <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/news/computing-star-jack-heading-worldskills-f… Kimmins.</a></p>

<p>After finishing his Level 3 course, Mircea plans on staying with the team at Weston to study the <a href="https://www.ucw.ac.uk/courses/applied-computing-bsc-hons/">BSc Applied Computing degree course at UCW</a>.</p>

<p>The winners of all WorkdSkills competitions will be crowned at a ceremony hosted by TV presenter Steph McGovern from her Packed Lunch studio on Friday 26 November.</p>

<p>We'd like to wish Mircea the very best of luck!&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/compu… here to learn more about our Computing courses and Career Excellence hubs</a></p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{1e8b9452-d5c9-4b44-b12e-4464f0e453f0}{155}" paraid="837433930" xml:lang="EN-GB">Weston College and University Centre Weston alumni Jack Kimmins is proving his amazing talents in computing as he is selected for the finals of the WorldSkills national&nbsp;competition.&nbsp;</p>

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<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{3e894158-dc2d-47b1-ad8f-696acda90106}{212}" paraid="333486024" xml:lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.worldskillsuk.org/">WorldSkills&nbsp;UK</a>&nbsp;is an&nbsp;independent charity&nbsp;that&nbsp;works&nbsp;with employers, education and governments,&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;young people across the&nbsp;world&nbsp;via competitions-based training, testing their ability to achieve world-class standards in the biennial ‘skills&nbsp;olympics’.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{57e2f1d7-18cc-4ac5-bcc2-25d6a27d09bb}{76}" paraid="1320591153" xml:lang="EN-GB">Over 3,000 people registered to take part in the UK-wide competitions in March &nbsp;2021 and Jack is one of 400 who made it into the finals,&nbsp;which is&nbsp;split into 64 disciplines.</p>

<p>Jack is competing in the Web Design category which is to take place in Weston-super-Mare, hosted by Weston College.</p>

<p>Talking about the selection process, Jack commented: "To get into the finals, I first had to make it into the semi-finals, which involved creating a suitable website design that met a predefined client's brief. Then, to qualify for the national finals, I had to build a website using HTML and CSS that met specific requirements and that was based upon a website wireframe design."</p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{a3f7ba3c-a6a6-4e68-b420-848930eec348}{144}" paraid="977226024" xml:lang="EN-GB">The College will host the prestigious&nbsp;WorldSkills&nbsp;UK National Web Design Competition&nbsp;from&nbsp;Wednesday 17^th&nbsp;November – Friday 19^th&nbsp;November, with the winners being crowned at a ceremony hosted by TV presenter Steph McGovern from her Packed Lunch studio on Friday 26 November.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{a918904d-3de7-4241-a373-3eb573130dcf}{186}" paraid="736473802" xml:lang="EN-GB">This exciting announcement is just one of the fantastic&nbsp;career&nbsp;enhancing opportunities&nbsp;available at the college, through the&nbsp;newly launched&nbsp;<a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwesto…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Career Excellence Hubs.</a>&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{a918904d-3de7-4241-a373-3eb573130dcf}{189}" paraid="1159169574" xml:lang="EN-GB">At the College each subject area forms&nbsp;its&nbsp;own specific Career Excellence Hub, endorsed by relevant sector employers which&nbsp;help to create a study programme with lots of career boosting benefits, WorldSkills competing opportunities is one of these.</p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{a918904d-3de7-4241-a373-3eb573130dcf}{189}" paraid="1159169574" xml:lang="EN-GB">Jack continued:&nbsp;"The support that I have been provided throughout my journey with WorldSkills has been excellent. I have attended every meeting and practice session available to me, which has enabled me to focus on the distinct details of the competition.</p>

<p>"I'm very proud that I have made it this far in the competition and to represent my university in the national finals.</p>

<p>"This opportunity has enabled me to expand my knowledge and practical abilities with web development. It is also given me more self-trust in my abilities, as it being a competition, the nature of it requires you to have a degree of confidence in your skills to be successful in it."</p>

<p>We wish Jack the very best of luck with the finals and continuing to succeed with his Masters degree. A <em>very</em> bright future ahead!</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="www.weston.ac.uk/computing">Click here to read more about our Computing and IT department, including the Career Excellence Hubs</a></p>

<p><a href="https://weston.ac.uk/news/congratulations-our-worldskills-uk-national-f… here to read more about our other WorldSkills Finalists</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{a3f7ba3c-a6a6-4e68-b420-848930eec348}{144}" paraid="977226024" xml:lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</p>