Bronze for United Colleges Group students at City Hall

Students from United Colleges Group celebrated an impressive overall bronze at this year’s Greater London Skills Competition 2026, held across multiple colleges in London.

The college’s success was confirmed at the awards ceremony held at City Hall, where students from the College of North West London and City of Westminster College - part of United Colleges Group - finished in the top three against competitors from 15 colleges across the capital after achieving first, second and third place medals across Carpentry, Cyber, Hair & Beauty and Health & Social Care.

The competitions were supported by the Greater London Authority, working in partnership with Association of Colleges and endorsed by WorldSkills UK. This groundbreaking initiative brought together learners, educators, employers and industry leaders to showcase vocational excellence and highlight the crucial role of skills competitions in preparing the workforce of tomorrow.

The College of North West London’s Willesden campus hosted the Carpentry competition, welcoming student teams from Waltham Forest College, Barking & Dagenham College and London South East Colleges. Students competed alongside these teams, gaining valuable experience in a high-pressure, industry-standard challenge.

Highlights included student Levy, winning first place and Stanislaw, placing third in the Carpentry competition.

Budding carpenters were challenged with planning and constructing an asymmetric shed end.

“Watching my father work in carpentry ever since I was little has really inspired me to do my very best on my course at the College of North West London.” said Levy from Wembley.

Computing & IT students also achieved a win in the Cyber competition, demonstrating their technical expertise and problem-solving skills. Four of the winners originally started their journey at our college at Level 1, progressing directly to Level 3; a remarkable achievement.

Four of the winners originally started their journey at our college at Level 1, progressing directly to Level 3; a remarkable achievement. Winifred, from Willesden, one of the winners in Cyber said "Before the competition, I felt nervous but excited to apply what we have learnt in lessons. With the help of my teammates, we all performed well and the competition was an incredible event. It was exciting to get the award at City Hall – it really was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.”

City of Westminster College hosted the Hairdressing and Beauty competitions at its Paddington campus, with students tasked to create bridal hairstyles and showcase their talents in glam make up and facial beauty treatments. The College’s own students secured two medals - one for beauty therapy (Jhennyfer second place) and one for hairdressing (Sundas third place).

The College was honoured to welcome Mary Vine-Morris MBE, Association of Colleges Area Director for London, who visited the campus to observe the competitions and present awards to the winners.

Stephen Davis, CEO & Group Principal of United Colleges Group, said: “Achieving Bronze at the Greater London Skills Competition – placing in the top three among 15 London colleges – is a testament to the dedication, creativity and skill of our learners. Our strong overall performance - alongside individual wins in Cyber and Carpentry - also reflects the expert guidance and support of our staff. We are grateful to the Greater London Authority, the Association of Colleges and WorldSkills for their vital support in making collaborative initiatives like this possible. Competitions like these celebrate talent, but they also give our students the confidence and real-world experience they need to succeed in their future careers.”

The College also thanked its partners for their support of the competitions, including NOCN Group, Tyron Wain, Jennor Timber Co. Ltd, Tilgear, Finn Stacey, Wella Company, Eve Taylor, VTCT Skills, and Avlon Haircare.

Events like the Greater London Skills Competition give students the chance to test their skills, gain industry experience, and celebrate achievement in a collaborative and challenging environment.