A College of West Anglia student has won a coveted bronze medal in the WorldSkills competition at the NEC in Birmingham.
Briony Willoughby, 28, representing the Isle campus at Wisbech, was rated among the best of the best in the nail technology section.
It was a proud time not just for Briony but for everyone at the Wisbech campus, particularly her lecturer and mentor Julie Constable for all the additional training, support and effort she put in to ensure Briony was able to produce such a high standard of work.
And other work created by College of West Anglia students in a Showcase spectacle on the show’s stage won praise from all concerned.
Briony had won her heat at Edinburgh earlier this year, where the Isle also got second place through student Sylvia Loveridge.
Lecturer Julie Constable could not hide her delight and that of the college for the great performance.
She said: “It is difficult to summarise this fantastic achievement. I am so incredibly proud of Briony and her amazing result in the Worldskills UK final at the NEC.
Having previously achieved Beauty Therapy Level's 2 and 3, at The Colllege of West Anglia Briony returned to the Wisbech Campus in 2012 to study Nail Technology. Briony has worked so hard to get to the finals, and throughout the competition has remained focused and calm. (Frighteningly so).
“Briony applied the same focus and determination throughout her qualification which she achieved earlier this year, and was awarded Student of The Year in recognition of this.
“She is one of the college's stars, not just for winning a bronze medal but for the little things, by always willing and offering to help and support her peers, she is real credit to any team. It has been an honour and a pleasure to support her on behalf of the CWA and on their behalf wish her the very best of luck for all her future endeavours.”
She is currently working at the Hair Boutique, Lynn Road, Wisbech, as a beauty therapist and nail technician.
WorldSkills is a worldwide competition, which has been promoting excellence in vocational training since 1950.
This year the nail technology section saw 101 entrants, with seven heats and 17 finalists, with Briony grabbing the bronze award for all her hard work.
Donna German, also from Wisbech, acted as her model at the NEC on Saturday.
“She is a real credit to the college and to her tutor to have been so successful in nail technology,” said Carole Gallagher, programme manager for hair, beauty and nails at the Isle campus.
Briony was challenged to produce a full set of nails, with red polish on one hand and a high gloss polish on the other.
The work of students from the College of West Anglia, featured in a separate Showcase spectacle on a giant stage, in front of a huge audience.
There was a fantastic response from the audience, WorldSkills organisers and other colleges on the Showcase that Tracey Gaines, Media Make-up and Julie Constable, Nail Technology and students produced.
The presentation/dance the Media Make-up students presented at the end of the showcase was brilliant and a real credit to all involved, said Chris Challender, the college’s external projects manager.
He also praised four media students from the college who had won through to the finals of WorldSkills.
He said: “Although the work of our media students in Video Moving Image also deserves recognition as they faced strong competition from colleges with a much greater experience of WorldSkills and for them to get through to the national finals is a worthy achievement on which we can build a medal-winning entry for next year!
“Our Showcase entry was very impressive and delivered a high-impact experience .. the media make-up, the nail-art, the performance routine, the skills commentary, the video camera work, and the post-show ‘walk-about’ by our models was why the Skills Show people said it was one of the best Showcase performances ever seen on the Hair & Beauty stage.
A College of West Anglia student has won a coveted bronze medal in the WorldSkills competition at the NEC in Birmingham.
Briony Willoughby, 28, representing the Isle campus at Wisbech, was rated among the best of the best in the nail technology section.
It was a proud time not just for Briony but for everyone at the Wisbech campus, particularly her lecturer and mentor Julie Constable for all the additional training, support and effort she put in to ensure Briony was able to produce such a high standard of work.
And other work created by College of West Anglia students in a Showcase spectacle on the show’s stage won praise from all concerned.
Briony had won her heat at Edinburgh earlier this year, where the Isle also got second place through student Sylvia Loveridge.
Lecturer Julie Constable could not hide her delight and that of the college for the great performance.
She said: “It is difficult to summarise this fantastic achievement. I am so incredibly proud of Briony and her amazing result in the Worldskills UK final at the NEC.
Having previously achieved Beauty Therapy Level's 2 and 3, at The Colllege of West Anglia Briony returned to the Wisbech Campus in 2012 to study Nail Technology. Briony has worked so hard to get to the finals, and throughout the competition has remained focused and calm. (Frighteningly so).
“Briony applied the same focus and determination throughout her qualification which she achieved earlier this year, and was awarded Student of The Year in recognition of this.
“She is one of the college's stars, not just for winning a bronze medal but for the little things, by always willing and offering to help and support her peers, she is real credit to any team. It has been an honour and a pleasure to support her on behalf of the CWA and on their behalf wish her the very best of luck for all her future endeavours.”
She is currently working at the Hair Boutique, Lynn Road, Wisbech, as a beauty therapist and nail technician.
WorldSkills is a worldwide competition, which has been promoting excellence in vocational training since 1950.
This year the nail technology section saw 101 entrants, with seven heats and 17 finalists, with Briony grabbing the bronze award for all her hard work.
Donna German, also from Wisbech, acted as her model at the NEC on Saturday.
“She is a real credit to the college and to her tutor to have been so successful in nail technology,” said Carole Gallagher, programme manager for hair, beauty and nails at the Isle campus.
Briony was challenged to produce a full set of nails, with red polish on one hand and a high gloss polish on the other.
The work of students from the College of West Anglia, featured in a separate Showcase spectacle on a giant stage, in front of a huge audience.
There was a fantastic response from the audience, WorldSkills organisers and other colleges on the Showcase that Tracey Gaines, Media Make-up and Julie Constable, Nail Technology and students produced.
The presentation/dance the Media Make-up students presented at the end of the showcase was brilliant and a real credit to all involved, said Chris Challender, the college’s external projects manager.
He also praised four media students from the college who had won through to the finals of WorldSkills.
He said: “Although the work of our media students in Video Moving Image also deserves recognition as they faced strong competition from colleges with a much greater experience of WorldSkills and for them to get through to the national finals is a worthy achievement on which we can build a medal-winning entry for next year!
“Our Showcase entry was very impressive and delivered a high-impact experience .. the media make-up, the nail-art, the performance routine, the skills commentary, the video camera work, and the post-show ‘walk-about’ by our models was why the Skills Show people said it was one of the best Showcase performances ever seen on the Hair & Beauty stage.