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Cathal Connolly's World Skills Graphic Design UK Finals blog

  • Awards
By Cathal Connolly

What this blog is about and what it will cover

Greetings welcome to my blog on about my experience of taking part in the World Skills UK Finals. This will cover my experience from my point of view covering emotions I felt, how I grew and my thoughts about the World Skills.

Entry Exam

(Before the UK World Skills)

When I was interduce to the Graphic Design World Skills , I was taking part in ICT lessons during my college course in Level 1 Diploma in Skills for Employment, Training and Personal Development. My teacher holding the class found out about the World Skills ICT completion were coming up. My teachers viewed this as an amazing opportunity for the entire class to participate in a major competition, fostering growth in our professional skills and personal development.

(Entry exam / Summary)

The entry exam consisted of a variety of ICT questions designed to test our fundamental computer knowledge. It wasn’t overly too difficult or overwhelming for me even with a couple of trick questions being thrown into the mix to test your overall knowledge on computers. At the time though I wasn’t aware how much of an impact this was going to hold on my future, and it would be a couple of months before I found out about my results from taking the entry exam.

World Skills UK Digital Design: Semi World Finals

(World Skills UK Semi Final : Invitation)

After I found out about my results and that I was approved to take part in the World Skills ICT completion UK Semi Finals I was quite surprised and shocked. It was a bit for me to take in since I have never been involved in anything like this before, which made me felt anxious. I also found out I would have to travel to Nuneaton Campus in Birmingham which further threw me into further discomfort of partaking in this completion. But it was reassuring I figured out I wasn’t going alone and that I had one other fellow student and two tutors coming along for the journey which made things less stressful for me.

(World Skills UK Semi Finals : Practice)

Nevertheless, I also had a right bit of time to prepare myself and gather material for what I wanted to do in this completion for the topic. Which was an information display for the uses of AI and samples how AI could be used in personal and business uses. For this task I had one hour and thirty minutes to create an excel bar chart and a pie chart, a five slide PowerPoint presentation and to produce an email with a newsletter more information on why AI is used, your personal experiences with AI and, how to use AI safely.

(World Skills UK Semi Final : Competition)

This was a bit more difficult than it sounds because you were evaluated based on design aesthetics and technical accuracy and handling it on your own within the time limit. But after partaking in the UK Semi Finals, I was shortly rushed off to get a plane home, and I wouldn’t receive the news until a few months wither I have qualified or not to move onto the next stage.


(World Skills UK Semi Final : Summary)

This overall was already an amazing experience for me completing Stepping out of my comfort zone to represent South West College was an incredible experience in itself. I felt a great deal of pressure being the person to take on this role but now I am extraordinarily more confident in my capabilities after taking part in the UK Semi Finals and I felt proud in myself for taking part in the World Skills UK Semi Finals.

(Photo included is of Nuneaton Campus College in Birmingham in England)

UK World Skill Graphic Design: Finals

(World Skills UK Finals : Invitation)

I was absolutely astonished to learn that I had qualified, especially upon hearing that only seven other participants had made it to this stage. I also discovered I would be going to Cardiff in Wales to partake in the UK World Finals at Vale College. I found myself much less anxious with the prior experience I had being involved with the UK World Skills Semi Finals. I was also lucky enough to be accompanied with a fellow classmate who and two teachers once again who were with me to the Semi Finals which put me more at ease.

(World Skills UK Finals : Practice)

The completion was an overall like the UK Semi Finals, where I had to practice creating an Excel, a 5 slide PowerPoint presentation, a Newsletter within the one hour and thirty-minute time limit, but this time it was a promotion for a Caravan Park. This time around though I defiantly felt put more confident in my capabilities. But I was defiantly still nervous because my end goal was being able to take part in the final stage of the Global World Skills completion which I was determined to reach.

(World Skills UK Finals : Competition)

It was defiantly quite an impressive event to take part in with how many other participants were partaking in other categories in the UK World Skills Finals. I also felt put more under tension this time around knowing this was the Finals but I persevered. This time around as I was not rushed back onto a plane right after taking part in the completion. There was also a rewards ceremony this time, which gave medals out to the top 3 performing members of each category which were handed out by the head of the UK's education department. It felt more relieving to get my results on the spot and I was really proud of myself for getting 3rd place in the UK Graphic Design Finals.


(World Skills UK Finals : Summary)

From this whole experience I would say I have gained more from it from what I have realized. It was greatly boosted my confidence in handling my work with computers, my ICT Skills, along with handling being under pressure along being able to take part in the World Skills UK Finals.

(Photo included is of Vale College in Cardiff in Wales)

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