<p>It is the <a href="https://www.worldskillsuk.org/">WorldSkills</a&gt; National Finals next week (w/c 14th November). This event is the culmination of an exciting development programme, designed and assessed by industry experts, which judge an individual’s employability, personal and technical skills. There will be a total of 62 finals between 7 venues, and <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/worldskills">Weston College</a> will be running the Website Development Competition at the Middlesborough venue!</p>

<p>Three of our own computing learners, Finley, Mircea and Skylar will be competing, and we wish them the very best of luck, as well as five other finalists from all over the country. We are looking forward to seeing who takes home the trophy!</p>

<p>As well as boosting skills and confidence, if competitors impress under the pressure of the finals, they could being with a chance of representing the UK at the “skills Olympics” in France 2024.</p>

<p>Steph McGovern will announce the winners on Friday, 25th November in a special medal ceremony, live-streamed to the WorldSkills UK website, from her Packed Lunch studio.</p>

<p>Sandra Bull, the Dean of the Faculty, commented: “We are so proud of the learners going to compete in the WorldSkills National Finals – it is a huge achievement for the college, and is a testament to the talent and ambition that is created here. This achievement, of course, would not be possible without our wonderful staff, who give endless encouragement and support to our learners, so a huge thank you from me, to every staff member that has been involved with this opportunity. Good luck to every participant competing, we can’t wait to celebrate your expertise.”</p>

<p>We welcomed year 11 students into the Weston Digital Hub for a Digital taster day. Being one of the leading colleges in the UK for <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/compu… and digital studies</a>, we want to give as many students as possible, the opportunity to study with us and reach their individual ambitions. Through the taster day, we showcased our exceptional lecturers and facilities that assist our learners in becoming successful in the IT industry.</p>

<p>9 students from Hans Price Academy and 2 from Churchill Academy attended the taster day, to decide if Computing and Digital Technologies was the career route for them; every student that was asked said they enjoyed themselves, and 9 out of 10 said they would attend a Digital taster session again, with the 10th saying maybe.</p>

<p>One of the attendees stated: “This day was amazing! I wasn’t sure this subject area would be for me, but I was wrong, and now my aim is to do as well as I can in my GCSEs to get onto the Digital course!”</p>

<p>They continued: “I loved working as a team and learning to play different games I’ve never played before!”</p>

<p>As a result of attending the taster day, and having the opportunity to join the Esports Academy, all but one said of the students asked, said that they’d want to apply for Weston College.</p>

<p>Sandra Bull, Dean of the Faculty, said: “Here at Weston College, it’s crucial to us that every potential student is given the opportunity to explore every pathway that could lead them to their dream career. The taster day was incredible, and the engagement, passion at positive feedback from the attendees is the reason we continue doing the work we do. We can’t wait to welcome our next group of year 11s to have their taster day with the college.”</p>

<p>Find out more about upcoming <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/taster-days">taster days</a>, and other <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/news-and-events/events">events</a&gt;, via the links!</p>

<p>On 21st October, World Esports Day, our incredible Esports team took part in a Twitch livestream Charity event for the <a href="https://www.winstonswish.org/">Winston’s Wish</a>; a charity supporting children and families coping with the loss of a parent or sibling. The event was in partnership with <a href="https://www.coventrycollege.ac.uk/">Coventry College’</a>s <a href="https://www.coventrycrosshairs.com/">Coventry Crosshairs</a>, and the teams competed in games of Overwatch, Valorant and Rocket League.</p>

<p>When the goal of £250 was smashed before the first games had even finished, it was increased to an ambitious £500 in the break. Everyone was thrilled when that goal was also reached, reaching £506 in the end!</p>

<p>The results of the games are as follows:</p>

<p>Our Rocket League team lost 3-2, going the entire distance in the best of 5, and only losing after 4 minutes of Overtime. They showed incredible effort, however, and provided amazing entertainment for the audience!</p>

<p>The Coventry Crosshairs Valorant team were very strong, and won 13-5 against the Weston Waveriders.</p>

<p>Finally, our Overwatch team got a 3-1 win against Coventry, though the Crosshairs showed incredible resilience and sportsmanship.</p>

<p>When the stream ended, the average viewership was 55 concurrent views across 4 hours of stream time – the team were so grateful for the continued support throughout gameplay.</p>

<p>The lecturers want to give a huge shout-out to the learners who got involved and allowed this to all take place. It was an incredible event, and we’re so proud of everyone who took part, and a huge thank you to everyone who donated and watched the stream!</p>