Five years ago, The City of Liverpool College became a pilot institution for the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence programme and in the process, redefined its approach to technical education.
Serving over 10,000 learners annually, 75 per cent from the top three areas of postcode deprivation, our college is based in a designated Education Improvement Zone. Many students arrive with low starting points, diminished confidence and aspirations hindered by past educational or challenging life experiences. Our goal is to turn disadvantage into advantage. Becoming a member of the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence, in partnership with NCFE, beautifully supports our core mission. It shifts the focus from courses to careers, ensuring that no one is left behind.
Central to this partnership is the idea of moving learners from competence to excellence by embedding competition-based pedagogy across the curriculum. Trained by WorldSkills UK in a seven-step skills excellence framework, five educators across key departments cascaded this model college-wide. The result has been a cultural shift, embedding high standards and fostering ambition at all levels.
This is particularly evident in our School of Construction, where WorldSkills UK’ Gold-Silver-Bronze benchmarking is now wholly embedded into Level 1 and 2 assessments, turning pass/fail courses into genuine vehicles for aspiration. Instead of “you’ve passed”, learners now hear “you achieved silver, here’s how to reach gold”. The impact on self-belief and motivation, particularly amongst those with limited prior academic success, has been striking. At the recent regional plastering competition, our students claimed first, second and third place, with two heading to the SkillBuildFinals and one named as a reserve.
Success stories like Shayne’s show what’s possible. Starting at Level 1 plastering, Shayne progressed to an apprenticeship, won his regional SkillBuild competition, placed eighth nationally as the youngest competitor, and was named British Gypsum’s Apprentice of the Year 2024. Our most recent regional champion has just won the same title for 2025.
Dan’s journey in health and social care mirrors this success. He won his regional competition, earned bronze nationally in the WorldSkills UK Finals and is now part of Squad UK training for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026. Other students have shone in hairdressing and games development, with our games team placing second in the games benchmarking event.
Last year, we were selected by WorldSkills UK to lead an innovation project focused on integrating international benchmarking into all Level 1 programmes through co-designed assessments rooted in industry standards. This led to a shift from ‘meeting outcomes’ to ‘achieving mastery’. It encourages teachers to go beyond the specification and identify “what does excellence look like” in basic but essential skills, whether producing a perfect three-strand plait or preparing ingredients for a soup. Alongside assessing just technical skills, we embedded the resilience, confidence and professional behaviours that employers value because we firmly believe that excellence is more than just technical ability.
The impact was significant. Over 80 per cent of students reported greater confidence in their technical abilities and employability. The same proportion felt the benchmarking approach raised their aspirations, and 90 per cent said they now felt confident to enter competitions which is a remarkable outcome for those who previously saw themselves as having “failed” the system. This approach has helped to dismantle the pass/fail ceiling many had internalised. In our context, where trauma-informed pedagogy is essential, WorldSkills UK has helped us reframe what success looks like.
We are proud to be a trusted voice in this space. This work has amplified our presence in national conversations, from AoC conferences to DfE briefings, to showcase how WorldSkills UK pedagogy can be a powerful tool for social mobility. But the real success lies in what our learners have achieved. They’re not just qualifying, they’re becoming confident, industry-ready professionals.
Through the Centre of Excellence, we’re raising aspirations and developing the talent pipelines our region desperately needs. Our learners, regardless of background or starting point, are challenged to go beyond ‘good enough’ to achieve excellence. In doing so, we are proving that excellence is not exclusive. It belongs to everyone.
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