After four intense days of competition at the 2024 WorldSkills UK National Finals in Manchester and Greater Manchester, students from Southern Regional College showcased their exceptional skills and determination, earning 10 medals and securing an impressive second place on the WorldSkills UK leaderboard. The College topped the leaderboard for all Northern Ireland colleges and ranked second overall among all UK colleges. These 2024 results continue a successful three-year streak, with SRC previously achieving the top spot across the UK in 2022 and 2023.
The finalists and medallists were celebrated at the prestigious Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on Friday 22 November. The closing ceremony, hosted by TV presenter Will Best, took place following the conclusion of the competition activities earlier that day.
The following outstanding students, delivered medal-winning performances:
|
Name |
Hometown |
Competition |
Medal |
Employer |
|
Annabell Hughes |
Loughgall, Armagh |
Culinary Arts |
Gold |
Ghan House |
|
Patrick Sheerin |
Portadown |
Industry 4.0 |
Gold |
AJ Power |
|
Caolan McCartan |
Camlough, Newry |
Industry 4.0 |
Gold |
Collins Aerospace |
|
Ruth Douglas |
Banbridge |
Laboratory Technician |
Gold |
Almac |
|
Ben Robertson |
Portadown |
Automotive Refinishing |
Silver |
G&H Body Repair |
|
John Doherty |
Portadown |
Mechatronics |
Silver |
Norbrook Laboratories |
|
Jason McVerry |
Belleeks, Newry |
Mechatronics |
Silver |
Redrock Machinery |
|
Jonathan Gough |
Waringstown |
Electrical Installation |
Bronze |
MD Electrics |
|
Ross Graham |
Banbridge |
Mechatronics |
Bronze |
Re-Gen Robotics |
|
Carter McKnight |
Moira |
Mechatronics |
Bronze |
Randox |
The WorldSkills UK National Finals showcases the best of the UK’s young talent. Designed by industry experts, the competition series develops personal and professional skills through the advancement of technical and employability skills, through competition-based learning.
Students from the College competed in nine competition disciplines which included automation, automotive refinishing, culinary arts, electrical installation, health & social care, restaurant services, industry 4.0, laboratory technician and mechatronics.
Southern Regional College students have excelled in recent years at WorldSkills UK. This year has seen a continued dominance in the areas of mechatronics, laboratory technician, electrical installation, automotive refinishing and culinary arts, with students securing medals in these areas in consecutive years. Furthermore, the College’s three mechatronics teams represented half of the finalists in the mechatronics category.
Lee Campbell, Principal & CEO of Southern Regional College commented:
"Congratulations to all students who won medals at the 2024 WorldSkills UK National Finals, and to those who reached the final stage of the national competition. This event is about more than just medals; it's about determination, learning, and growth. These results reflect the tremendous effort students have put into preparing for the finals, with the support of lecturers and employers during pre-competition training. Both medal winners and finalists should be immensely proud of their achievements."
The 2024 WorldSkills National Finals took place from Tuesday 19 November to Friday 22 November across eight venues in Manchester and Greater Manchester. The next National Finals will occur between 25-28 November 2025 across venues in South Wales. Competition activity for the 2025 cycle will commence in March 2025.
