DN Colleges Group Supports 94 Entries for WorldSkills UK & SkillsBuild Competitions

It’s that time of year again when students across DN Colleges Group put themselves forward to take part in the WorldSkillsUK and SkillsBuild 2026 competitions, both prestigious events that celebrate excellence in vocational skills and technical education.

What are the WorldSkills UK and SkillsBuild Competitions?

Made with apprenticeship and industry standards in mind, both competitions help students and apprentices develop technical and employability skills, boosting their confidence and career prospects through competition-based training and assessments. In fact, 91% of previous entrants say they were able to apply what they learned directly to their training and workplace after competing.

Participating in SkillsBuild and WorldSkills UK competitions also enables learners to develop not only their technical skills but also key soft skills, such as confidence, resilience, teamwork, and problem-solving, all of which are essential for career success.

DN Colleges Group Competitors

This year, DN Colleges Group is proud to be supporting 94 applications across both competitions.

For the WSUK national competitions, we’ve had 88 registrations from the following areas:

• Renewable energies
• Culinary arts
• Health & social care
• Web development
• Beauty therapy
• Digital media production
• Graphic design
• Hairdressing
• Automotive technology
• Beauty therapy practitioner
• Cyber security
• Restaurant service
• Digital support & security
• Electrical installation
• Foundation cookery
• Welding
• 3D digital game art
• Additive manufacturing

For the SkillsBuild competition, we’ve also had 6 registrations in:

• Bricklaying
• Plastering

Simon Barton, DN Colleges Group’s Ambassador for Skills and Competitions, said:

“At DN Colleges Group, we are proud to promote competition-based learning within our teaching, learning and assessment.

This includes giving our students opportunities like the WSUK National competitions 2026 and the SkillsBuild 2026, which replicate real-world working scenarios and prepare learners for an ever-changing competitive industry and employment. These competitions test resilience, commitment, and creative thinking, among many other skills valued by employers.

I feel that it is these types of enriching activities, such as competitions, that will set our learners apart when they enter the competitive market of employment and hopefully support their career journeys.”

Skills Development

As a proud partner and a part of the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence programme, DN Colleges Group is committed to supporting students in reaching their full potential.

By encouraging students and apprentices to apply, equipping them to excel throughout their WorldSkills UK and SkillsBuild journey, we are immensely proud of our students who step up to take part.

We wish all our students and apprentices competing the very best of luck and look forward to celebrating their progress throughout the competition.

Read more about our involvement in other competitions and hear from our previous winners here.