Engineering a brighter future…

Wakefield College Engineering student Yasmin Whale has come up trumps after securing a place in the finals of the prestigious WorldSkills UK competition.

Yasmin, who is studying Level 3 Engineering at the College’s Castleford Campus, will be competing with over 400 students and apprentices across 64 disciplines to be crowned national skills champions in November.

The Engineering department at the Castleford Campus has also recently undergone an expansion and refurbishment of the fabrication and welding area with the college investing in additional materials for students to work on. The area was on display at the recent Open Event where Yasmin was showcasing her skills and talking to prospective students.

“A competition like this gives me the chance to learn all the processes,” Yasmin said. “I could never see myself sat in an office and I knew at school I didn’t want to go to university so when engineering was suggested to me, I thought why not give it a go. I picked it up quickly and really enjoyed it, so much that I found an employer, Relentless Engineering Ltd, who I could do an apprenticeship with.”

Yasmin started welder training at Selby College for her Level 2 Standard and then transferred to Wakefield College for her Level 3 Diploma and NVQ. Commenting on her success, tutor Trevor Murgatroyd said: “Yasmin has put a tremendous amount of additional time and effort into going through the local qualifiers then onto the Regional Qualifiers for the Northeast of England. Her employers have supported her excellently, as have all the staff at Wakefield College,”

Yasmin’s former welding tutor at Selby College, Stephen Cook added “It was a pleasure to teach Yasmin during her time at Selby College. I always knew she would go on to great things as she has a strong passion and talent for welding, which was obvious from the moment she started here at the College. She really enjoyed doing the practical work, so as her tutor, it was just a case of encouraging her to reach her full potential. I wish her all the best for the WorldSkills UK National Finals and I’m sure she will not disappoint.”

The WorldSkills UK competition-based development programmes are designed by industry experts and enhance the practical skills and knowledge taught on training courses by assessing an individual’s employability attributes against set criteria in a competitive timed environment. The programme has a real impact on those taking part, with 90% of previous entrants saying their career progression improved after competing and 86% stating their personal and employability skills had improved.

The 2021 WorldSkills UK winners will be crowned at a ceremony hosted by TV presenter Steph McGovern from her Packed Lunch studio on Friday 26 November.