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6 August 2026

A day in the life of a WorldSkills expert

WorldSkills UK painting and decorating training manager Mike Swan takes FE Week behind the scenes of what it takes to be a competition expert

Anviksha Patel

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6 min read
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Most attendees of a WorldSkills event see the competitors front and centre, with their heads down and tools in hand, racing the clock.

What they often miss are the people standing over their shoulders, armed with a clipboard and running on just a few hours of sleep.

That is the job of a WorldSkills expert. For Mike Swan, it’s a world away from his day job as a construction curriculum leader at Dundee and Angus College.

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