Four Newcastle College students were named winners at an annual national skills competition hosted by NCG during National Apprenticeship Week.

NCG Skills is an annual skills competition that gives learners from six of NCG’s seven colleges the opportunity to develop and display their skills to employers and compete for a chance to represent their college on the national stage.

Apprentices and learners from areas including carpentry, hairdressing, hospitality and catering, joinery, painting and decorating, and plumbing put their skills and knowledge to the test through a series of practical tasks in real work environments.

Modelled on WorldSkills, it is focused on preparing students for national competitions, strengthening their hands-on experience and providing an opportunity for engagement with employers and peers outside of their classroom.

20 Newcastle College students travelled to Carlisle College to take part in the competition after qualifying in regional heats held in December.  Their aim was to showcase their skills to the judging panel, made up of experts in each of the categories which included skills charity NOCN Group, Construction EPA, OneAdvanced, VTCT, Loreal, Weller and representatives from WorldSkills UK.

Harvey McCreedy took the Bricklaying title for the second year in a row, while Josh Henderson won the Plumbing category. Liam Goodfellow took the top spot in Painting and Decorating, and and Bobbie Jo Ramsay was named top Hairdressing competitor.

Bobbie Jo, 17 from Ashington, is studying a Level 2 certificate in Hair Techniques and competed for the first time. After winning NCG Skills she’s now preparing for her next skills competition.

She said: “I was so nervous that when the judge explained the rules I was shaking and couldn’t even part the hair properly, but I took a deep breath, and it all seemed to go well. It flew by, and I was so happy with my results in the end, but I was still shocked to hear my name. I didn’t think I would win as everyone else was so good too. I’m so excited to go to Hartlepool and do it all again for my next competition!”

Skills competitions like NCG Skills play a pivotal role in supporting students to develop the skills essential to meeting the evolving needs of employers across the North East and beyond.

Jon Ridley, Principal of Newcastle College commented "We are dedicated to equipping our students with the necessary employability skills to become the North East’s workforce of the future. Skills competitions are one important element of the hands-on experiences we offer our learners, giving them an opportunity to test their skills and perform under pressure to industry. Congratulations to our deserving finalists and winners, they are all fantastic representatives for the College and I am very proud to see their talent on show to employers on a national stage.”

 

NCG Skills's 2025 Winners:

Art and Design: Abbie Jones and Naia La Roux (Both from Lewisham College)

Bricklaying: Harvey McCreedy (Newcastle College)

Beauty: Lily Jordan (Kidderminster College)

Carpentry: Aieren Nixon (Carlisle College)

Creative Media Make-up: Lily Woodfield (Kidderminster College

Culinary Arts: Aiden Martin (Carlisle College)

Electrical: Nicholas Kroll (West Lancashire)

Hairdressing: Wiktoria Zuraik (West Lancashire College) and Bobbie Jo Ramsay (Newcastle College)

Joinery: Charlie Badger (Kidderminster College)

Painting and Decorating: Liam Goodfellow (Newcastle College)

Plastering: Jake Waite (Carlisle College)

Plumbing: Josh Henderson (Newcastle College)