Bridgend College students secure places in WorldSkills UK National Finals
11/07/2025Fifteen outstanding students and apprentices from Bridgend College have secured a place at the national finals of the prestigious WorldSkills UK Competitions.
After demonstrating excellence in their vocational skill at the qualifiers, the fifteen students and apprentices will now compete against the top learners from across the UK at the national finals. Bridgend College finalists and their respective competition areas are:
- Izabell Jones: Foundation Skills Catering
- Jesse Owen: Foundation Skills Digital
- Sophie Davis-Jones: Foundation Skills Enterprise
- Abi Thomas: Foundation Skills Enterprise
- Bethany Johns: Foundation Skills Enterprise
- Erin Taylor: Foundation Skills Restaurant Services
- Dylan Jones: Industrial Robotics (Apprentice with Renishaw)
- Joe Ashton: Industrial Robotics (Apprentice with Renishaw)
- Ossian Thomas: Industrial Robotics (Apprentice with Renishaw)
- Liam Warren: Industrial Robotics (Apprentice with Renishaw)
- Luke Bodenham: Industrial Robotics (Apprentice with SonyUK TEC)
- Luke Evans: Industrial Robotics (Apprentice with SonyUK TEC)
- Roman Hrymalskyi: IT Support Technician
- Anton Alayev: IT Support Technician
- David Thomas: Landscaping
For the first time, five venues across South Wales will host the WorldSkills UK national finals which will take place in November, including Bridgend College. The College is proudly hosting competitions across 9 disciplines, from Industrial Robotics to Landscaping and Plumbing at its Pencoed Campus.
WorldSkills UKâs competitions embed excellence in over 40 skills and support learners and apprentices in developing the world-class technical skills that will allow learners to thrive and employers to grow.
To support the students and apprentices in their training for the national finals, WorldSkills UK is providing benchmarking resources and events, through its online platform, The Learning Lab.
âIt is wonderful to see fifteen of our students and apprentices reach the WorldSkills UK National finals. They have worked extremely hard, demonstrating their skills excellence, dedication and resilience. We are incredibly proud of them, and wish them the very best of luck as they compete on home soil, as the WorldSkills UK Finals come to Wales for the very first time.
âWe are also thrilled to be one of the host venues for the finals. We look forward to welcoming finalists from across the UK and showcasing the exceptional facilities we have at Bridgend College.â
Viv Buckley, Principal and CEO of Bridgend College
The announcement of this yearâs finalists builds on the Collegeâs success at skills competitions with three Bridgend College students, Melody Cheung, George Hedges and Jac Brisland who are also taking part in an 18-month intensive training programme, aiming to be selected for Team UK at WorldSkills Shanghai.
âCongratulations to Bridgend College students and apprentices on reaching the WorldSkills UK national finals. Our competitions test learnersâ skills against global industry standards, providing a powerful platform to showcase their talents. Over three intensive days of competition they will gain valuable skills and confidence which will turbo charge their careers and make the UK economy more competitive.
âWith employers all over the UK crying out for high-quality skills this is a fantastic opportunity for hundreds of learners to show they are ready for work. I canât wait to see the finalists in action.â
Ben Blackledge, CEO, WorldSkills UK
