Bronze prize at WorldSkills UK for University Centre student Euan

We are proud of Barnsley College University Centre student Euan Moran, who travelled to Wales for the WorldSkills UK National Finals and came away with a bronze award!

Euan, who studies the Computing for England Higher National Certificate – having previously excelled on a T Level in Digital Support Services – won the bronze medal in the IT Support Technician category of the prestigious competition.

The WorldSkills UK competitions are designed to inspire and upskill young people from all backgrounds, providing employers, colleges, and training providers with a proven method of developing talent.

Euan’s practical skills and technical knowledge were put to the test in the competition, held at Coleg Gwent. He received his award at a ceremony held at the 5,000-capacity International Convention Centre in Newport.

Euan said: “Throughout the competition, there were quite a few challenges that I came across.

“I feel like I gained some insight into problem-solving, and time management. I think being able to prioritise what to do, and see what I can do more quickly, will benefit me in future. And just being able to troubleshoot things in general.

“I've definitely learned some important things while I've been researching for the finals, particularly about things like configuring virtual machines. I feel like these are skills that'll help me.”

Euan added that he would recommend any students considering taking part in WorldSkills to apply.

“First of all, because the things you're learning are quite interesting,” he said.

“Obviously, it's an optional competition, so you’re not going to fail a grade or anything like that for not doing well.

“It's something you can do just for fun, but if you do get bronze, silver, or even gold, it is something that can help you in the future.

“It's something that I can put on my CV that can potentially help me get jobs and get onto courses in the future. Basically, it says that I'm willing to do an optional thing that I didn't have to do at all.

“I really wasn't expecting to win bronze at all. So, it was a real surprise when they said my name while I was sat in the audience.”