The first round of the WorldSkills UK ‘Made to Measure’ fashion competition takes place this coming weekend – 5th and 6th July at Hackney Community College, London. The participants have been selected from colleges and universities across the UK.

The students submitted their designs that they will be drafting and making up at the live competition and the standard of entries has been very high.

The competition will be judged by 4 industry experts; Nigel Cabourn – North East based designer who is one of the ‘designers at Debenhams’; Imtaz Khaliq – London based bespoke tailor; Joyce Thornton – WGSN ‘Generation Now’ Journalist and Gavin Douglas -
a regular London Fashion Week designer.

The strongest students will win a place in the UK competition final being held at the prestigious Northumbria University School of Design in early September.

University of Huddersfield Fashion Students take part. 

Hilary Wells & Victoria Griffiths with their dress design for French Connection

Last week two teams went head to head to compete for a chance to join the UK Squad going to compete at EuroSkills 2008 in Rotterdam in the Netherlands in September. The team selected to compete in the Fashion Product Development & Production Competition were Hilary Wells and Victoria Griffiths from Somerset College.

Their brief was to design a dress for a UK / international high street retailer. They completed all the design and research work in advance then had to make the patterns from scratch (using basic pattern blocks in size 12) and finally cut and construct the garment (toile) to a production ready standard in calico fabric.

The two teams – one from Somerset College and the other from the University of Huddersfield were selected to receive further training after gaining first and second places at the national heat held at Cardonald College, Glasgow in January 2008. They attended an intensive two day workshop at the Huddersfield Textile Centre of Excellence in early April before taking part in the final which was held at Hinckley College in Leicestershire from the 15th – 17th April.

Katie Ann Eardley & Katy Holgreaves with their dress design for Whistles

The team was chosen following a nationwide hunt for fresh new design talent held by Skillfast-UK, the Sector Skills Council for fashion and textiles and UK Skills.

The response was extraordinary, with colleges, universities and businesses from across the UK all nominating their talented teams to compete in Rotterdam next year.

Skillfast-UK was looking for a team with the ability and flair to represent the UK at the highest level and showcase tomorrow’s talent. Linda Florence, Chief Executive of Skillfast-UK, said: “The level of interest in this competition has been remarkable.

“It has highlighted that we have a wealth of talented young, up and coming designers here in the UK – I am only pleased that I am not going to be on the judging panel!”

Linda continues: “It’s great to see fashion production and development making its world debut at EuroSkills 2008 in Rotterdam next year.

“The UK is home to some of the world’s most creative design talent, but it is very important that these creative skills are matched by top-notch technical ability, something that EuroSkills is very keen to promote.”

Skillfast-UK and UK Skills, a not-for-profit organisation that champions skills and learning for work, worked together to organise the UK entry into the competition.

EuroSkills 2008 will see hundreds of young professionals, students and graduates from 22 European countries, compete and demonstrate their skills in almost 30 typically European trades.

This new innovative event will showcase European skills on an international platform and will consist of skills competitions, demonstrations, interactive events and conferences.

WorldSkills is the highlight of the international skills calendar, the biennial event bringing together member countries from across the world to pit the skills of their young people against the best the world has to offer. An exciting and engaging spectacle, the competition is open to visitors who are able to get a close up view of competitors as they battle it out against the clock and those difficulties that are commonly experienced in the workplace. In effect it provides a platform and focal point for nations in dealing with their skills issues.

More specifically the WorldSkills competition has the following direct benefits For the UK:

• Move from competence to excellence
  There is a growing sense that we need to raise our standards and aspirations. WorldSkills has the potential to take us beyond the demonstration of competence in vocational education and to create a passion for excellence.
• Reduce skills gaps
  The excitement and achievements of WorldSkills competitors has the potential to capture the attention of the nation, to provide the motivation young people need to consider vocational education and to set their aims higher. Plus it will help to transform our national attitudes towards skills, to tackle skills gaps and shortages, and to raise our low productivity levels.
• Minimise skills shortages
  Many young people are opting to go into what they consider to be more stimulating professions, WorldSkills has the potential to once again get them excited about vocational training and to entice them back into traditional skills – areas where we have skills shortages.
• Re-engage the disaffected
  Exposure to the achievements of WorldSkills competitors will we hope provide the inspiration this group and their parents need to make them believe that they are important and have what it takes to be successful, to stay on in learning and acquire vocational skills – to take the opportunity to develop their full potential.